The Rabbit on the Moon
by Sakura Martinez
Summary: AU.When the clash of swords echo, the journey chasing the past ends and the journey to know today begins. One soul seeks another and pledges their sworn friendship to another. One mystery begets the next and the doors of fate are opened.
1. Prolougue

A Digimon Frontier AU Fanfic

By: Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)

A/N: Alright, I owe an apology for those who are reading CoT: Cyber World…I seem to have misplaced my flash drive and so I can't update that story for a while. Don't worry, I'm looking for it since the story is already complete and is stored at the said device. In the meantime, here's another Digimon Fanfic from yours truly, hope you guys like it.

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Prologue**

_"Do we you really have to go?" Asked a little, blond-haired girl in pigtails, a sad look was plastered on her face._

_An older, black-haired man nodded, "Yes, honey, so you better say your goodbyes to your friends soon."_

_"But why, daddy?" asked the girl once again, "We're already happy here aren't we? Why do we have to go?"_

_The older man, who was the young girl's father replied, "Because, daddy has been reassigned to a new place."_

_"Then you go on ahead, daddy, mommy and I will stay here instead."_

_"You know we can't do that honey, and you know that daddy's job is important." intervened an older woman with the same blond hair as the girl._

_Sighing in defeat, the little girl sobbed and nodded, "Alright then mommy, daddy, I'll just go and say goodbye to my friends."_

_"Don't take long, honey." Called the father as her daughter walked out of the house._

_The moment the little girl stepped out of their house, she saw a couple of kids her age playing at the streets. She then lingered her eyes around the familiar place that she had called her hometown. She didn't really understand why they have to move away, but she knew that it would be hopeless to argue with her parents._

_Just then, she was snapped back out of her thoughts when a young boy with messy, auburn-colored hair ran towards her calling her name._

_"What took you so long?" The boy asked._

_The little girl sobbed and at once the boy knew something was up._

_"Why are you crying, is there something wrong?"_

_"Daddy said he got promoted." The little girl said._

_"Then that's great! You should be happy with your daddy." Said the boy._

_"I am happy for him, but…"_

_"But what?"_

_"We're moving to where daddy was reassigned to."_

_That surprised the young boy. "Moving? When?"_

_"Today." Said the girl, trying to stop herself from crying._

_Silence. It took minutes before either of them spoke again, the little girl was beginning to sob once again._

_"It can't be helped then…I know how important your daddy's job is." The boy finally said._

_"But then I won't get to see you, auntie, uncle or any of the nice people here anymore."_

_"Don't worry, you can always visit us."_

_"It won't be the same as living here. Daddy said his new assignment is somewhere very, very far…I don't think I could visit everyday."_

_The young boy couldn't help but laugh at what his best friend had said._

_"Alright then, how about we make a promise?"_

_"A promise?"_

_The boy nodded. "Yep, a promise. A promise that we'll always keep in touch with each other. How about that?"_

_The boy held out his hand, ready to make a pinky swear, the little girl did the same and said, "I promise."_

_They both smiled._

_"I know it would be lonesome at that new place…" the little girl said._

_"You won't know that." The boy said, "But if you are ever lonely just make a wish at the rabbit on the moon."_

_"The rabbit on the moon?" the little girl asked, confused._

_The boy nodded, "My dad said, before he left, that there's a rabbit on the moon who is ready to lend a hand to anyone who needs help. So, whenever you're sad, or whenever you have a problem, just look at the moon and remember you have good-old-me, and I'll go to you and help you out."_

_"Is that a promise?"_

_The boy nodded._

**To be continued…**

A/N: That's that for the first chapter, I haven't written in a while, so bear with me. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! Chapter 2 coming up soon!


	2. The Life of A Commander's Daughter

A Digimon Frontier AU Fanfic

By: Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)

A/N: Well, still haven't found that darn flashdrive so I am still not updating CoT: Cyber World, sorry for that. Anyways, thanks for the reviews on this new fanfic of mine…lol

Also, Happy Christmas to everyone, since, now that I am writing this new chapter is Christmas Time, I made sure to greet everyone.

Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this new chapter!

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Chapter I: The Life of A Commander's Daughter**

The first morning rays entered a square-shaped window shinning over a sleeping

figure who stirred muttering something under her breath. She hated the mornings, especially on days after attending a party.

But more than mornings, she hated parties as well – especially parties where her father was invited, for such parties where the kind where people look at you giving you fake smiles, people such as aristocrats.

She sighed, she was already awake and she knew very well that she should better dress up already for any moment now her bodyguard would soon barge in to her room.

She got up and went to do her morning rituals – brushing her teeth, taking a bath and such.

As she was doing all of these, she could not help but reflect upon herself…

It has been 10 years since her father was appointed to the largest city on the Kingdom of Felis. She was already 18 and knew very well that soon, she would receive more and more invites to parties – such was the life of the only daughter of a Commander to the King's Knights Eastern Corps.

The Kingdom of Felis, the most powerful Kingdom in all of Frontiria which has been under the rule of King Seraphim III, has been having internal problems with its knights. She really do not know the cause of it all, but apparently her father, the Eastern Commander, and the Western Commander of the King's Knights were having a disagreement.

Whatever the topic of which they were disagreeing was, she did not know. Although she was the daughter of one of the men in question, she was never fascinated by politics or anything her father was up to. She wanted privacy in her life and so, what better way to obtain such privacy than to give her father some of it?

Shaking the thoughts of politics in her head, her thoughts dwelled on the dream she had the night before.

Her dream revolves on her life long ago, when her father was just a mere knight being appointed to a new destination.

She could not remember much about those days, except those stories that her late mother used to tell her. Although she was not that young then, she had learned to always keep the bad memories out, and apparently having to say good bye to her home was one of them.

She dreamt of that day, the day she and her family moved away from the borderlines of Harim. She didn't know which part of her dream was a real part of her memory and which was just made up, but in her dream she dreamt of a boy.

This boy had an auburn colored hair which was all messy. His eyes, which were of the same auburn color, held a caring look in them – a friendly and warm look and his smiles were sincere.

He wore a sort of worn out warrior's clothing, a clothing that she could remember was the clothing children being trained to fight, to become knights were wearing.

She dreamt of walking out of the house she grew up in crying; she remembered in her dream, the boy came to her and comforted her…that was all she could remember.

She smiled to herself. How she wished that such a person with a kind look, a gentle and sincere smile existed. How she wished that, if he really was training to be a knight, that he was already one, and one that was working under her father. But most of all, how she wished they had never left so she would know if there was even such a boy in her childhood.

But there was something, amidst those thoughts. A feeling. She could not help but feel that there was something missing, something very important. She felt that it was just at the tip of her tongue, just within her grasp.

Just when she thought she would remember it, it would slip through her hands and that was the end of that thought.

Just then, a knock came from her door and it flew open revealing a young knight.

She sighed.

"_Just what I needed._" She thought to herself.

It was her bodyguard, her ever-so-cocky bodyguard whom she would rather not have, but unfortunately has.

She looked at him with a look that says she was annoyed at the intrusion of this auburn haired knight.

"_Auburn…_" She thought to herself, as she drifted back to the boy in her dreams, she had long shook from her head the thoughts that this bodyguard of hers was that boy she had wished existed in her reality.

There wasn't any sincerity in his smiles nor warmth in them. There wasn't any humility in him, with all this _I_s, _Me _and _My_ in each and every single one of his sentences. But most of all, she has that strange feeling that this wasn't THE one.

"What is it this time, Junpei?" She asked, addressing her bodyguard who has 'apologized' though, not sincerely, at the sudden intrusion. "This had better be good since you just barged in much earlier than your usual time of doing so."

"Well, I didn't believe that my lady, Izumi would take notice of my 'usual time'." Junpei said, a smirk on his face.

Izumi gave him a death glare which made the smirk fade away. She hated this bodyguard, she really did.

"Well?" she asked once again.

Junpei cleared his throat and replied, "The Commander was the one who sent me, Lady Izumi."

"Father?"

The bodyguard nodded, "He wishes that you go to his office once you have finished breakfast. It seems that this is a matter of much importance for him."

"I see…" Izumi said, "Very well, I will meet with him as soon as I have finished breakfast. Are there any more 'appointments' like these?"

Junpei nodded. And as they both walked towards the dinning hall of the East Commander's large abode, the young bodyguard began to enumerate today's events that were laid out for the young lady.

Izumi sighed as she walked. How she wished that things were a bit different…

**To be continued…**

A/N:

Well, that's that for the second chapter. Hope you guys like it. Although I am not a Junpei-hater, I wanted to put in a character who is annoying and a bit cocky. Although Takuya in the earlier parts of the show was cocky, I couldn't put him in this chapter as the bodyguard since…well, that would ruin the storyline I've planned out for this one. I had only two options really, whether it was Kouji or Junpei, and since I like Kouji but I don't think that he has any 'interest' on Izumi, I decided to go with Junpei…sorry for those who were hoping to see a little Kouji-Izumi love here…

Anyways, hope you guys review this fanfic!

Once again, a very happy Christmas to all!!!


	3. The Life of A Commander's Son

A Digimon Frontier AU Fanfic

By: Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)

A/N:

_At Kari Minamoto: Yes, I did change my pen name for some reasons. XD_

Well, I was suppose to upload this earlier, but under the circumstances, I wasn't able to do so. The earthquake that struck at Taiwan damaged the internet connection here in the Philippines so I wasn't able to upload this chapter.

Anyhow, I hope you guys would like this new chapter! So Enjoy!!

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Life of a Commander's Son**

He tried to stifle a yawn, another day has started and it had started with meeting with his superiors. Everyday, as it was standard procedure, he would meet with his fellow Knights in Training to meet with their Captain. It was a very redundant routine ever since he had managed to attain the Knight Apprentice rank.

He didn't really like having to hear his Captain speak about etiquettes, responsibilities, duties, and such so early in the morning. He couldn't understand very well why they would have to listen to the same speech each and every day.

The sun was brightly shinning, it was a bit windy and was the perfect day for some physical training, and he hated having to stand for hours listening on some boring speech that was driving his eyelids to close.

He could feel his eyelids getting heavier and heavier until someone gave him a strong nudge that made him shot wide awake.

"I wouldn't fall asleep like that, you know." A black haired Knight Apprentice who was standing beside him whispered. "You know very well what the Captain will do if he sees you snoring on his speech."

_"As you all know the duty of the Knights of the Kingdom of Felis is to protect the people and their king…"_

"You don't have to remind me," he said, "I could still remember the look on my father's face when he learned that I fell asleep in class…it still gives me the shivers just thinking about it."

"Well, I could understand why your father would be angry like that," the black haired one continued, "after all, he is the Commander of the Western Corps."

_"...we should put our duties first before our emotions, that is the secret of becoming a true knight…"_

"You two better stop talking like that, you'll get us all in trouble." Said another Knight Apprentice.

The two apprentices nodded, they knew better than dragging the whole platoon down.

The speech went on and on. It took almost an hour or two before they were finished and he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

As always, it was only after the long speech that they would have their breakfast. A breakfast that consist of tasteless foods and sometimes stale foods. Such food made him wish that he was already a Knight, then perhaps they could dine on something more edible.

He looked over to his side where his most constant companion and fellow Knight Apprentice was sitting, trying to eat what looks like curry.

"We were really lucky today, weren't we?" his black haired companion said, "I mean, if I haven't noticed that you were on your way to dreamland then you would have nothing to eat for breakfast today."

He couldn't help but laugh at that, "I don't think not having breakfast of this kind is such a bad think, Kouichi. I don't even know what the heck we're eating after all."

The black haired apprentice whom he referred to as Kouichi laughed as he raised a spoonful of 'curry' and took a look at it before settling it back down the plate. "I see what you mean."

They both laughed before eating the food laid down before them in rations. They had known, earlier on, that it would mean trouble if there were any leftovers on their plate.

He sighed, he could not help but remember living at that border village. Life seemed pretty easy back then, and he was still dreaming about living the easy life. It was easier, compared to his life now.

Ever since his father had been promoted as the Western Corps Commander, the easy life in Harim vanished. He and his mother were forced away from that secluded place.

He remembered going against the whole promotion thing, but he knew his complaints would not be heard. His father had, after all, dreamt of becoming a commander for all his life.

He and his father were really different from each other, it made a lot of other people wonder if he was really his father's son.

His father, the Western Commander had always dreamed of becoming a knight but he dreamed of becoming a normal person – away from the aristocrats, the royalists and all those other things.

His father was stern and always serious all the time, but he, his son, was more of the happy-go-lucky, charging in without thinking, loud type.

He took a sip of his soup, he was always questioned, compared and had people disappointed in him. Even if he didn't like being a knight, he had no choice now, then again, when did he had a choice.

No matter how much he would wish it, his father would not allow it.

"You are to be a knight," his father had said on one occasion that he asked to be pulled out of training. "you are after all, my son, and therefore would be succeeding me. I would not allow you to back out!"

People would often think that he was lucky. Lucky for being the son of the Western Commander, one of the Four Great Commanders of the King of Felis, little do they know how unbearable it can be sometimes.

He was snapped back out of his thoughts when Kouichi began talking with him again.

"Do you ever wonder what will happen once we have been made full fledged Knights?" Kouichi asked.

"Wonder? About what?" He asked.

"The Knights who graduate on this academy don't get to choose on which commander they would be assigned." Kouchi began, "The academy chooses for them based on their strengths and weaknesses. Not only that, but they could only choose between Commander Kintaro Orimoto of the Eastern Corps and your father."

"So? What's the big deal?"

"Aren't you a least bit worried about the fact that there's a fifty percent chance that you would be assigned under Commander Kintaro's forces?" the black haired apprentice asked, "You know as much as everybody here about the fight between the Western and Eastern Corps Commanders and their men."

"Well, that's my father's and Commander Orimoto's problem, not mine." He replied. "Besides, It doesn't really matter which side I land on, as long as I become a Knight and wouldn't have to eat this food everyday."

Kouichi sighed, he really could not understand his friend. "You make it sound like the Eastern Commander would be nice to you if you end up under him."

"We won't know that until it happens right?" He replied grinning.

"You're always like that…" Kouichi sighed, then smiled, "I guess that's what separates you from the rest of us here."

He then stood up, then told his friend, "Well, the training session doesn't start for a while, I'll just be at my quarters."

Kouichi nodded, "Alright then, I'll see you later."

He then continued to walk down the stone halls of the Knight Academy. The familiar pathways which had awed him when he first set foot on the academy held no wonder in his eyes any longer. He seemed to had outgrown that.

He sighed. He had been sighing a lot lately.

His thoughts drifted to the name of the Eastern Commander. He couldn't seem to put a finger on it, but the name somehow seems oddly familiar.

_"Orimoto, huh?"_ he thought to himself, _"Why do I have the strangest feeling that I've heard that name before…_

_…Is it because of the fact that he is a well known Commander just like my father?"_ he went on thinking. _"No, that can't be right…but if that is so, then why can't I help but think about Harim whenever I hear of that name?"_

He soon stopped dead on his tracks. He has reached his destination. He took out a small key and inserted it on the door before turning it clockwise and opening the door to his room.

His room wasn't as fancy as most of his fellow Knight Apprentices thought. It was just a small, four cornered brick room with a single window, a small desk, a small shelf and a very hard futon.

He lay down his futon and continued on thinking why he seemed to be attracted to that name. He frowned as he scratched the back of his head.

Like always, time seemed to fly by so fast and soon a knock was heard from his door and a familiar voiced called for him.

"Hey, are you sleeping?" Called Kouichi, "Wake up! The Captain is calling for us!"

"Alright, alright!" he replied. "I'm coming!"

And with that he stood up dusted himself and went out of his room to join his friend towards the training grounds.

That day's training was composed of swords, lances and bow and arrows. He wasn't as good in handling lances or bows, but he could boast about his sword fighting skills.

That day's training went as it always did. He was superb during the sword skill exhibition but ended up making a fool of himself when it came to the archery skill training and then he would make a fair display of his skills when it comes to using the lance.

The whole afternoon was committed to fighting skills and training that it ended hours after dark. It was only when the bell calling for supper rang that the Captain gave them permission to go, eat dinner and rest.

"Man, the captain really knows how to pummel us to the ground with training, doesn't he?" Kouichi had said during dinner.

"Yeah, at least he made us so tired and hungry that we won't have to think about how supper would taste." He joked.

At that, they both laughed.

"You know, Takuya, for a Commander's son I was hoping you were good at everything, yet, even after all the years we've been together, I still can't help but think how you suck in archery."

"I'm the Commander's son not the Commander himself," he retorted taking a bite off a large chunk of meat. "We're both different persons with different skills and talents."

"So you say." Kouichi muttered, "If that's the case then why didn't you become a Swordsman rather than a Knight?"

"You know why already, don't you?" Takuya replied, "It's my father's wish that I become a King's Knight just like him."

"Yeah, yeah, I know about that but I can't help but wonder if that's the only reason why."

After supper, he went back to his room and lied on his futon once again. He sighed, he had been thinking a lot lately and he wasn't even sure why.

As he turned to his side and looked out of his small window he saw the large orb shinning brightly in the night sky. As his eyes began to fall and he began to fell asleep, he could not help but think that there was supposed to be something he was to be remembering, something really important.

As he fell into a deep slumber, he muttered unconsciously to himself the words _the promise_.

**To be continued…**

A/N:

Well, that's that for this chapter. Hope you guys liked it, as you can see and have read, the first two chapters excluding the prologue, are introduction on our two main characters. After this chapter is where the real 'fun' begins.

With that said, I hope that you will all take time and review this chapter. Each review matters so please, review!


	4. Leave it to me! An Escort Mission!

A Digimon Frontier AU Fanfic

By: Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)

A/N: Well, the internet connection over here is still pretty much slower than a turtle and so I have found a hard time just uploading a single chapter. I have to apologize for the delay of updates though for that reason. I have no idea just when the internet connection would be back to normal.

Anyhow, thanks for the constant reviews, guys…although at the moment, the number of reviews I am receiving from this fanfiction is pretty small, I still would like to thank all those who are reading this fanfic – both those who do review and who don't have time to do so. You guys are the reason why I continue to write at FFN. Thanks a lot.

Well, I've hold you guys up for quite a long time already. So without further delay, here is the next chapter of The Rabbit on the Moon! Enjoy and Happy New Year to all!!!

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Leave it to me! An Escort Mission!**

_"What? Why do I have to be the one sent on that place, father?" Izumi asked, her temper flaring. "I'm not even a knight! Not only that, this is not a job for a lady!"_

_"Knight or not, you are the only person whom I can fully trust to go on this journey." Her father, Commander Kintaro replied sternly. _

_"That's not the case, father." She argued back, "You don't expect me and my bodyguard to just travel to that Bandit Territory by ourselves, do you?"_

_"Of course not." He replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "That's the reason why I have already sent word to the Knight Academy to send us the most experienced Apprentice that they can offer."_

_"What?" Izumi could not help but exclaim, "You're calling for Apprentices rather than full pledged Knights?"_

_The commander nodded, stood up and walked towards the large window in his room and look beyond the view that the window could offer him. He sighed…_

_"At the moment, I cannot dispatch any of my knights at the same time, I cannot ask for any other full pledged knights in the academy."_

_"Why not, father?"_

_"You fully know the reason why, Izumi." He replied, "If the Council, the Four Imperial Generals and the other commanders find out that I am doubting the King, then they could very well throw us out of the Kingdom and ban us as traitors. Surely they would smell something fishy if I would have requested for Knights rather than Apprentices."_

_"Even so father, you know how I feel about traveling with Junpei."_

_"I know that, my daughter, that is why I am reassigning him to another duty for the time being and sending the Vice Commander along with you."_

_"The Vice Commander?" Izumi asked, blushing a bit. "But you just said that you cannot afford to send any of your knights and surely when the Council hears that the Vice Commander of the Eastern Corps is escorting me, they would wonder why, especially if you have told them in your letter that I am going on a vacation."_

_"You don't have to worry about that either, Izumi." Her father replied, "The Council doesn't know that you are heading out somewhere, what they do know is that Kouji's sister would be going on a vacation and that Kouji would only be escorting her up until you reach Guara, from there you will be protected by the Apprentice Knights."_

_"I still don't understand why I have to go there undercover."_

_"Don't worry, I would never send you to a place that I know holds so much danger."_

_"Are you serious about this, Captain?" Kouichi exclaimed, surprise evident on his voice._

_"Of course," the Captain replied. "since when did I joke about such things."_

_"But why choose us?" Takuya asked, "We're not the best among the Apprentices, not only that, but you're only sending both Kouichi and myself."_

_"I'm not the one who decided this." He retorted with an annoyed tone, "It's the Academy's decision, not mine. Don't tell me you boys do not wish to take on this mission."_

_"OF COURSE NOT, CAPTAIN!" The two Knight Apprentices replied in unison._

_"So, who are we escorting again?" Takuya asked, his eyes beaming._

_"Well, according to the memo from the council, you'll be escorting Vice Commander Kouji Minamoto's younger sister." The Captain said as he read the piece of paper containing the request for Knight Apprentices aloud._

_"I don't get it, if she's the Vice Commander's sister, why doesn't the Vice Commander escort her along with some of his Knights?" Kouichi asked._

_"Well, apparently, the Eastern Corps Commander didn't allow such a request." The Captain replied, "However, according to this memo, Vice Commander Kouji would be accompanying you boys up until you reach Guara."_

_"Well, it's a good thing that the Vice Commander would be accompanying us." Takuya said not caring about the fact that this Vice Commander was the Vice Commander of his father's rival. "If we were to escort her sister by ourselves who knows what'll happen."_

_"Yeah." Kouichi nodded, "I don't know much about the landscape heading towards Guara, but I hear that bandits usually attack there. Not only that, but I am quite curious about Sir Minamoto."_

_"Well, since you already know most of the mission details, I'll leave you two boys to prepare for the trip to the rendezvous point with the Vice Commander and for the trip towards Guara as well." The Captain said standing up, "Make sure you prepare well, lack of preparation could be critical to this mission. I'll call you for further briefings tomorrow before your departure."_

_"Yes, sir!" Kouichi and Takuya said in unison as they saluted their superior._

_"Finally," Takuya said, "A real mission!"_

The morning breeze swept over the Karm Train station blowing off a bit of sand over the atmosphere that Izumi and Kouji had to shield their eyes to not allow the gust of sand to irritate it.

She sighed as her hair was flowing with the breeze and as the sun illuminated it making her hair seem golden in color.

They have not been standing on the station platform for that long waiting for the two Apprentice Knights that her father had hired. On the contrary, they had just arrived at Karm five minutes ago.

She did not understand how her companion's mind works. First, she was woken up by one of her female attendants even before sunrise for their departure, then she was dragged half-sleepy to this almost-abandoned train station south of the large city, Wingdum to wait for the apprentices with an hour or so more before the appointed time that they were supposed to meet them.

She was, without a doubt, annoyed, and she did not try to hide it.

"Tell me again, Vice Commander, the reason why we have to be here earlier than expected?" she asked, annoyance visible in her tone of voice.

The Vice Commander who had a long black hair tied in a ponytail, whose face looked stern and serious with those black jet eyes of his looked over at his companion and replied.

"I'm sure the Commander, your father, had already informed you that we are supposed to be siblings, Lady Izumi, and for that matter, you cannot expect people to see us leaving from the manor together."

"I still don't understand why we have to be an hour earlier."

The Vice Commander sighed, "We still don't know if, as your father had suspected, we are going to be trailed for this, so we had to leave before sunrise since, if we are to be trailed _they_ would be suspecting that we would be leaving much later in the morning since this train station is not that far from the city. Not only that, but it would be rude for the Apprentice Knights if we were to be the ones late for this meeting when we are the ones asking for their assistance, wouldn't you agree, my lady?"

She sighed and gave up talking with her companion. She had to admit that this Vice Commader Minamoto is good-looking, a gentle man and, as her father had pointed out, dependable, however, he can sometimes, if not mostly, be cold-hearted especially when it comes to communicating with others.

She had heard from the other Knights of the Eastern Corps that Kouji Minamoto, her father's most trusted Knight was a lone wolf. It sometimes makes her wonder just how he became a Vice Commander in the first place since she had always thought that Vice Commanders needs some communing skills just like the other Vice Commanders.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Kouji suddenly spoke up.

"There is one other precaution that we have to agree with, Lady Izumi." He said.

"One other precaution?" she asked.

"Your name." he bluntly said. "Your looks alone could make people wonder if we really are siblings, so we have to create a made up identity for you. An identity that you would be using as long as we are on this journey and you will keep that identity until you return back to the mansion."

Izumi thought for a moment, and although she never did like playing pretend, she could not see any other way out of it, and so she agreed.

"What do you have in your mind then?" she asked.

"Well, you will act as my step-sister, I would tell a story that my parents are divorced and that you are the daughter of my step-mother." He explained in a hush voice making sure that no one would be able to eavesdrop on them, even though the whole place was half deserted. "The fact that my step-mother and father had only been married means that we don't know much about each other and thus, we are on this little vacation."

"Well, that sounds believable." Izumi said, quite amazed at how fast Kouji's mind was able to make something up like that. "That would steer us clear from any suspicion especially when they ask me about you and I am not able to answer anything or vice-versa."

Kouji nodded, "That's exactly my point. Anyway, for your name…"

"Let ME decide on that." She said immediately cutting him off, "I don't want you to make up something silly."

"Alright then, you decide."

It took a couple of minutes before Izumi was able to come up with something to her liking.

"Megumi." She said, "How's that?"

"Megumi Minamoto…" the Vice Commander muttered to himself, then nodded, "That sounds pretty good, Megumi it is."

"Just how long does it take to get to Karm Station?" Takuya muttered, he was already getting bored of their carriage ride which seemed to have been going on for days when in fact, it had only been two hours of travel.

"You really are an impatient one, aren't you, Takuya?" Kouichi said.

"Impatient?" He asked, "I don't think anyone would be able to sit for any much longer in this bumpy carriage, horse-back riding is better than this."

"Not really, Carriage rides suits us well, I think."

"Speak for yourself."

At that, they both laughed, the scenery outside their windows moving along as their carriage went on forward to its destination.

"Hey, Takuya, do you wonder what the Vice Commander Minamoto's sister is like?" Kouichi suddenly asked.

Takuya looked over at his companion as if Kouichi was asking the most stupid question in all of Frontiria.

"What?" Kouichi asked noticing that odd look.

"I don't really know just where the heck that question came from, Kouichi, but I suggest you keep your thoughts to yourself." Takuya said as he looked back outside the window. "If the Vice Commander hears you talking about her sister, who knows what'll happen to you – if you will ever graduate the Knight Academy or not."

"Hey, I didn't mean anything bad about that, I was just wondering." Kouichi retorted, "Besides, aren't you the least bit curious?"

"Not at all."

"Whether she's sweet, charming, kind-hearted?"

"What's that got to do with our mission?"

"Whether she has the same jet black hair as her brother, as tall as him, if her eyes are full of innocence?"

"Kouichi, if you keep thinking about that you will be out of focus for our mission."

"If she's like her brother or if she can't even hurt a fly?"

"Aren't you even listening, Kouichi?"

"I bet she's really good-looking!"

"…you're not acting like yourself…"

It went on for more minutes before Kouichi stopped daydreaming.

"Finally, Kouichi Kimura is back in Frontiria." Takuya commented.

At that Kouichi laughed, "I bet you were imagining just what she looks like, weren't you?"

"Don't start with me again, Kouichi…"

Kouichi laughed once more. He really like irritating his friend once in a while to lighten up the mood. It was then that he suddenly came into a realization…

"You know, Takuya, I think we may have forgotten something very important about this mission." He said.

"Something important? Like what?" Takuya asked.

"Like the fact that we are going to be working under the Eastern Corps' Vice Commander."

"So, what of it?" he asked, not getting what Kouichi was trying tosay.

"So, do you think it would be safe if you were to go as Takuya Kanbara?" Kouichi asked, "You know, as far as I've heard, it's really dangerous to be affiliated with your father at the moment, especially with dealing with the Eastern Corps and especially if it would be dealing with their Vice Commander."

Takuya thought for a moment.

He had heard of it as well, some of his father's Knights were already killed by the worst kind of Knights of the Eastern Corps and most of them were those who held a high position or who were seen closest with his father.

He could not help but think that what Kouichi might be saying is right.

"I see what you mean." He said finally, "So, what are we going to do then?"

They both sat in the carriage thinking of a way to solve their current dilemma. It was when they were already half an hour's journey away from their destination that they came across a plan.

"It's dangerous to go on this mission as Takuya Kanbara." Kouichi said, "So, if that's the case, you would have to go as someone else."

"That's right, it's a good thing that the Academy doesn't send the information of those who are going to respond to a mission." Takuya said.

Kouichi nodded, "So how about you go as someone else? You don't have to act like my brother or something since that would be way out of the question."

"Right, I can't even see any hint of family resemblance." Takuya laughed. "So how about I just change my name or something."

"That would work quite well."

"It's decided then," Takuya said grinning, "I think I have just got the perfect name for myself."

Dust clouded the place where the carriage stopped.

Izumi with Kouji looked over to where the carriage stopped. They both knew that the people they were waiting for were the ones who are in that carriage, and how would they not when the carriage held the insignia of the Knight Academy?

With their bags perched on their back, they went over to where their superior and his 'sister' were standing and saluted.

"Knight Apprentice, Kouichi Kimura, reporting for duty, sir!" Kouichi said as he saluted.

"Knight Apprentice, Shin Hirugizawa, reporting for duty, sir!" Takuya said as he too saluted.

Kouich shot a look at Takuya as if asking where the hell the name come from, but Takuya just shrug him off.

"Nice to meet you, Knight Apprentices." Kouichi said saluting back, "I don't believe I would need to introduce myself, so let me introduce my step-sister instead. This is my step-sister, Megumi Minamoto."

As he said Izumi's made up name, she stepped forwards and said, "It's nice to meet you both."

He didn't really understand what was happening then, but when Takuya saw Izumi that day, he felt glad to see her. He really didn't understand what his feeling meant, and so, he just shrug the feeling off as pre-mission jitters.

Unknown to him, Izumi was feeling the very same thing. She did not understand it as well. She had only met the guy a few minutes, even seconds, ago and yet, there was something about him that made her feel at ease. She really didn't understand what she was feeling and so she shrug her feeling off thinking that perhaps it was only because of the fact that _Shin_ has an auburn hair.

"Alright then," Kouji said as he took _Megumi_'s belongings and as the two Knight Apprentices helped him with it. "Time to board the train."

As if on cue, a rusty train suddenly screeched to a stop right in front of the station.

"Uh…Nice…train." Kouichi said as he gazed upon the train.

"Well, everyone, get on." Kouji said, not minding Kouichi's comment. "We have a long way to go before we reach our destination."

"Right." His three other companions nodded.

And with that, they board the train that would take them to the small village of Ciel.

**To be continued…**

A/N: This chapter was pretty longer than what I had first anticipated. From this chapter is where the real story begins as the plot will thicken a bit, so you guys better stay tuned and keep constant watch for updates on this fanfiction.

Also, for all those who mailed me and gave me an early birthday greeting, thanks a lot, tomorrow (December 31) would be my birthday so you guys can bet that I won't be able to update tomorrow.

Also, I hope I don't get any questions concerning the names that Takuya and Izumi/Zoe chose on this chapter since the names are kind of spur of the moment things (I have nothing better to think of and it was the first names that came into my mind, lol).

Anyways, keep reviewing guys!

Until next time!! Ja ne!!!


	5. Wandering Nothingness

A Digimon Frontier AU Fanfic

By: Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)

A/N: Well, first off, a very happy new year to everyone! Sorry for the delayed greeting but it seems that our internet service provider has yet to fix the problem with logging into the internet so I wasn't able to update sooner than I would have liked.

Next on the agenda for this post-author's note: I want to thank everyone who took time in greeting me a happy birthday, especially **dogluv101**. I'm touched, XD. Also, a whole lotta love and thanks to those who continue to support me in my works and for those who take time reviewing this story and reading it as well.

With that said, on to the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it!!!

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Wandering Nothingness: The Buried City of Thieves**

She had never walked so much in her entire life, she and her father had, after all,

went everywhere in their carriage unless they were going to a nearby house which was a walking distance away, this time however, she was forced to walk. She didn't want to complain for she might blow her cover or the others might become irritated at her, yet, it seems that she cannot hide her annoyance any longer.

"How long will we keep on walking like this? First that train breaks down and now this…what's next?" she had finally asked causing everyone's heads to turn.

"I'm sorry, Megumi," Kouji said, "as you can see, we can't get any ride from anywhere near here…we have to keep on walking a while longer until we get to a village or even a city."

"And how long is 'a while'…brother?" she asked, almost forgetting that she was supposed to be Kouji's younger sister. "As far as I can see there's nothing around here."

Sure enough, there wasn't anything to view. It was a vast wilderness with nothing more than some trees – both dead and alive, some animals suitable for the almost barren-like-dessert, mountains over the horizon and a small oasis a couple of miles off to the north.

"I think it would be fine if we rest for a while, Sir Kouji." Takuya said seeing that _Megumi _was already tired. "We had been walking for a while now sir, can we at least rest for a couple of minutes when we get to the oasis?"

"I agree with Shin, Sir." Kouichi said, trying to hide the fact that he was a little bit tired as well. "It wouldn't hurt to rest for a while, would it?"

Kouji sighed, this was the very reason why he didn't like hanging around and even being in charge with Knight Apprentices.

"Very well then." He finally said. "We'll rest once we get to the oasis."

"Thank you, _brother_." Izumi said as she smiled.

And once again, they began their hike. Their arrangement were as follows: the Vice Commander taking the lead with Kouichi to stop any sudden frontal attack by bandits which were rumored to be hanging around the area. They were followed by Izumi/Megumi and finally Takuya/Shin guarding their backs.

As they were walking, Izumi decided to slow down a bit to let Takuya catch up with her.

Noticing the sudden change of pace, Takuya asked worried, "Is there something wrong, Lady Megumi?"

"No, not really." She replied, "I just want to thank you and Sir Kouichi for making _my_ brother change his mind."

"You don't have to thank us for that, my lady." Takuya replied earnestly, "It is a knight's duty to be of service to a lady."

"But your not a knight yet." Izumi pointed out, jokingly.

"True." He replied and at that he laughed along with Izumi while making sure that the Vice Commander and Kouichi would not be able to hear them.

Silence fell upon them as they continued to walk on and on. Hours seemed to have flown by until they finally reached the oasis and slumped down on the ground where shade is plentiful.

Takuya went on ahead and made sure that the oasis was free from any dangers that may harm them while Kouichi went on and refilled their water bottles and looked for food to forage. Izumi went on ahead and sat on the shade that was being given by the palm trees around the oasis while the Vice Commander Kouji perched himself on top of a large boulder to look out for any sign of immediate danger.

After Takuya and Kouichi had done their work, they sat down near Izumi to rest.

"Hey, Takuya, do you remember the map of this wasteland?" Kouichi asked in a low whisper.

"Not really." Takuya replied, "You should know by now that I am not really good at memorizing anything, I'm more of a fighter than a tactician, you know. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing really, I am just curious as to why we took this route rather than the most common route down Grand City."

"Grand City?" Takuya asked. "Maybe they liked to do it the hard way or something like that."

"Now you're the one who isn't serious." Kouichi said, "But you know what, I think I've seen Lady Megumi somewhere before, I just can't seem to remember where."

"Maybe you're just thinking way too much about this mission." Takuya retorted as he stood up.

"Maybe," he agreed. "You better go and talk to Sir Kouji, if we don't leave soon we might find ourselves in the middle of this wilderness after dark and that might prove a problem to us."

"Right."

And that was what Takuya did. He went over to the large boulder where the Vice Commander was sitting watching over the surroundings.

Seeing Shin moving towards him, Kouji asked, "Is there something that matters?"

"Nothing really, Vice Commander," Takuya replied, then added, "it's just that, shouldn't we be moving out, sir? We may find ourselves in a lot of trouble if we are caught in this place when darkness falls."

"You may be right." The Vice Commander replied, "However, it doesn't seem that my sister is ready yet…or for that matter capable of walking for a couple more hours."

At that, Takuya looked over at the direction where _Megumi_ was sitting and there he understood what his superior meant. Lying under the shade of one of the palm trees surrounding the oasis was _Megumi_ slumbering peacefully.

"I guess we can still make it to a nearby village after dark." Takuya said, still looking over at Izumi.

Kouji nodded. "I seemed to have forgotten the fact that she hadn't walk such a long distance in all of her life."

"That's not surprising, sir." Takuya said as he took his eyes away from the young lady. "I couldn't imagine the younger sister of Frontiria's youngest renowned Knight walking to get to someplace. It must be hard having a younger sister."

"Hard?" The young Vice Commander asked, "What makes you say that? Do you have a younger sibling as well?"

Takuya shook his head. "No sir. I am the only son of my father. I just can't help but wonder what it is like to have a younger sibling."

Kouji found it hard to answer Shin/Takuya's query. For one, he doesn't really have a younger sister and the fact that he sometimes also wonders about the same thing didn't help either.

But it seems that at times like these, silence is the best reply as Shin/Takuya suddenly changed topics…

"Vice Commander, can I ask you a question about this mission?"

"Well, it depends on what the question is." Came the reply.

"Well, Kouichi and I just can't understand why we have to take this dangerous road to Ciel." Takuya began, "Couldn't we just have passed over Grand City then take another train to from there to Ciel then board another train from Ciel to Guara?"

"That would have been an option if it wasn't for my status as the Eastern Corps Vice Commander." Kouji replied. "You already know about the uprising on some parts of the Kingdom, right? Well, you don't have any idea how hard it is for someone close to the Eastern Corps Commander to just waltz around somewhere much less travel."

"I bet it's hard…sorry, Sir Kouji, I seemed to have forgotten that fact." Takuya said.

Kouji couldn't help but wonder what that meant, but he soon shook the thought off of his mind. What he said wasn't really a lie although there is more to the truth than just being the Vice Commander of the Eastern Corps and that concerns the young lady currently sleeping peacefully under the shade of a palm tree.

"Well, it's best that we all rest." The Vice Commander suddenly said. "We still have a long ways to go before we reach Ciel and it's would be best for all of us if our bodies and minds aren't tired.

Takuya nodded in agreement. "Yes, sir!"

He then walked over to where Kouichi had also fallen asleep, his back lying on another large boulder close to the small body of water. When he got there, he sat down and looked over at the direction that they would soon be walking towards. He could not help but wonder about some things.

He did not know when exactly, but he soon found himself sleeping as well. It must have been because of all the walking they did, but whatever the reason maybe, it made him fell asleep.

When Kouji saw that everyone was sleeping, he could not help but sigh. He was tired. It was tiring to lead a such a group and act like somebody else's brother at the same time. He could not help but make a mental note of every single lie he had said concerning Izumi's background for fear that his two other companions might notice something or that he may say something to blow off the cover.

His eyes and his thoughts then lingered to the two companions in question. He could not help but admire those two. He was a bit older than the two of them but they seem to know as much as he does and they are also very much observant.

"_I'm lucky these two aren't any more observant than that_," He thought. "_if they were, they would have found us out already._"

He smiled. Then looked over at the Eastern Commander's only daughter. He could not help but admire her beauty even as she sleeps.

He sighed. He had already tried courting her long before he was even a Vice Commander and she had refused him. He didn't understand why then, and he still couldn't help but wonder why up until now. But like every other sensible gentleman, he accepted her decision without question.

Kouji shook his head trying to get all those thoughts out of his mind, he was in the middle of an important mission and such thoughts would only get in the way with it. He surveyed the surroundings one more time before deciding to cook something for he was certain that when his companions wake up they would certainly be hungry.

Hours passed before everyone was up and about. After eating Kouji's cooking and repacking their things, the group went on with their journey towards Ciel.

It was already dark when they found themselves wandering around what seemed like a deserted city with only their oil lamps to guide them through the dark surrounding.

Broken paving stones crunched under their feet as Kouji led the way into the city. The entire city was broken, what they all could see of it, and as abandoned as it was broken.

Not so much as a pigeon moved, and weeds, mainly old and dead, sprouted from the cracks in walls as well as pavement. More buildings had roofs fallen in than had them whole. Tumbled walls spilled fans of brick and stone into the streets. Uneven rubble hills with a few stunted trees growing on their slopes could have been the remains of an aristocrat's house or of entire blocks of the city.

"Are you guys sure that we took the right path?" Izumi asked, a slight hint of fear evident in her voice. "This place looks like a ghost town."

"I'm quite certain we made no wrong turns." Kouji said.

"The Vice Commander is right." Kouichi agreed. "I guess we must be in that rumored 'Buried City' that the merchants had been talking about."

"Buried City?" Izumi asked.

Kouichi nodded and began to explain, "If I'm not mistaken, this place used to be known as Riverside Village – a thriving small village that was well known for catching the tastiest river fishes."

"Riverside? Does that mean there's a river somewhere here?" Izumi asked.

It was Kouji who answered her query. "There used to be, but not any more."

"Why what happened?" Takuya questioned.

"Bandits attacked and pillaged the whole village destroying everything in their path, the river was no exception. As far as I have heard, the bandits buried the river with sand when the villagers did not agree to give them anything." Kouichi replied.

Takuya listened intently at Kouichi's explanation, just then, from the shadows of the dead village, he saw something move. Quickly he turned to that direction and raised the oil lamp higher over to that direction to see what it was.

When the Vice Commander, Izumi and Kouichi saw him do it, they can't help but be startled and worried at the same time.

"What is it, Shin?" Kouji asked, his hand already at the hilt of his sword which was strapped around his waist.

"I think I just saw something move from over there, sir." Takuya replied, his other hand on his sword's hilt as well.

"Are you sure that this place is deserted, Kouichi?" Izumi asked.

"Yes. The bandits have long left this place, maybe it's just some nocturnal animal searching for food or something or maybe it was just Shin's imagination." Kouichi replied.

"Maybe." Kouji said then added, "But don't let your guard down, people, we don't know what the darkness may hide."

Everyone nodded and they went on their way. Kouji as well as Takuya and Kouichi were all holding their oil lamps on one hand and their swords on the other making sure that if whatever it was that the darkness was hiding, they were prepared somehow.

On and on they walked.

They were already halfway through the deserted village when Takuya felt something. He knew that it was not his imagination this time. The back of his neck prickled. Something or someone was watching them from the darkness in the columns.

He spun around, staring at the buildings across the way. He could feel eyes on him from there, too. His grip tightened on his sword hilt. Watching eyes seemed to be everywhere. The others looked around warily; he knew they could feel it, too.

"We stay in the middle of the street." Kouji said hoarsely. They met his eyes, they looked as frightened as he felt. He swallowed hard. "We stay in the middle of the street, keep out of shadows as much as we can, and walk fast."

"Walk very fast." Takuya agreed ferverently.

The watchers followed them. Or else there were lots of watchers, lots of eyes staring out of almost every building. Takuya could not see anything move anymore, hard as he tried, but he could feel the eyes, eager, hungry. He did not know which would be worse: thousands of eyes, or just a few, following them.

As they walked hurriedly through the city, they, from time to time, squinted their eyes nervously into the darkness that always seemed to lay ahead. None of them was eager to enter the shadows; no one was really sure something might not be waiting. The watcher's anticipation was a palpable thing whenever shadows stretched across the street, barring their way. They ran through those dark places shouting, as if trying to make it seem that there were more of them than there really are, and all through out, Takuya thought he could hear dry, rustling laughter.

Just when they thought that they were safe and away from the watchful eyes, an arrow was suddenly shot at their direction, Kouji managing to dodge it. As he did so, he was able to determine where the arrow came from.

"Are you alright, Vice Commander?" Takuya and Kouichi asked in unison.

"_Brother,_ are you alright?" Izumi asked at the same time.

"Yes." He muttered before adding, "Why don't you all lie down a bit for a moment." His three companions gave him a questioning look.

"We should break for it, Vice Commander." Kouichi said.

"Not until we learn who it was that tried to shoot an arrow through my head." Their superior retorted, and with that, he faced the direction where the arrow came and shouted, "Why don't you be a man and show your face!"

"That's a lot of nerve coming from someone who's just leading a bunch of kids." Came a reply, but the voice came from somewhere near.

"I thought you said that this place was deserted." Izumi whispered over to Kouichi.

"It was supposed to be deserted, my lady." He replied.

"If we're just a bunch of kids as you say, why don't you show yourself and face us? Or are you scared of being beaten by us 'kids'?" Takuya shouted back, annoyed at being called 'kids'.

"If yainsist."

Just then, the group found themselves surrounded by a larger group of people with all sorts of weapons ranging from swords, bows, lances and daggers.

"Why the heck did you went on an provoked them to do just that?" Izumi asked.

"Don't worry, _Megumi._" The Vice Commander said in a reassuring voice, "He did a good thing by provoking them."

"What do you mean, _brother_?"

"Lady _Megumi_, look." Kouichi said as he looked over at the people that were encircling them. "If _Shin_ didn't go ahead and do just that, we wouldn't know just how many we are supposed to be facing."

Kouji nodded, "That's right, and from the looks of these people I'd say their the bandits that we had been hearing much about."

"I bet you're scared now, aren't ya?" said the same voice whom they have now seen as the biggest man around with a large axe slumped on his back. "Ya kids are facing the well-known and fiercest bandits around, the Scavengers!"

"Well-known?" Takuya asked in a mocking tone, "If you guys are so famous, then how come we haven't heard about you thugs before?" He then looked over at Kouichi trying to tell him something.

Having been around Takuya long enough to understand such gesture, Kouichi went on ahead and said to the Vice Commander in a hushed voice, "Vice Commander, I think we should make a run for it when Takuya gives the signal."

"What?" Kouji asked, "I don't think we'll make it if we do that."

"Don't worry, sir." Kouichi said reassuringly, "_Shin_ knows what he's doing. This isn't the first time that he had faced such a number of enemies at the same time. Trust him."

Kouji saw the earnestness in Kouichi's eyes, and he nodded. "We better split up in groups of two as well if we are going to run for it. This village seems to be a straightforward village, but if we are ever separated will make our way to Ciel and meet there. Understand."

"Yes, sir."

"I hope you guys do know what you're doing." Izumi whispered.

Takuya could very well hear what they were talking about, his hands slowly made its way into one of his many pockets and from there drew out two small, black circular objects.

"Ya talk big, but can ya fight?" the leader asked.

As he did so, Takuya threw the two circular objects into the ground as a whiff of smoke erupted from it hiding the four travelers from the views of the bandits and their leader.

Seeing as that was their chance to escape, everyone made a dash for it grabbing someone's hand as they break for the exit. Takuya managed to grab hold of Izumi's hand and Kouji managed to grab hold of Kouichi's hand.

As the smoke was so thick, they did not realize whom they were with or where they were going, all they cared about was getting away from the bandits in their seemingly endless numbers.

**To be continued…**

A/N: Finally I managed to finish this chapter. I have only a week left before our classes resume so I would use it to update this fanfic and hopefully finish it…though that seems rather vague at the moment.

Anyways, I hope you guys liked that chapter. This chapter was really meant to be written a bit earlier on but I had a small problem with cutting my chapters. Anyhow, problem solved now, so, no worries. By the way, I couldn't help but putting a bit, a really, really small bit of TAKUMI moment here…lol….more of that coming next chapter.

I can't help but notice how few reviews are coming in. It is kind of disappointing, but the story must go on! And for that fact I thank all those who read and review this fanfic and the same goes to those who have no time to review it but still reads it.

With that said, I take my leave saying please push the review button and keep those reviews commin'.

Until next time guys! _Ja ne._


	6. Feeling the Bonds

A Digimon Frontier AU Fanfic

By: Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)

A/N: Well, I didn't expect to be late in uploading this new chapter, but it seems I had been carried away and ended up making this chapter a wee bit longer than I first had planned it on my head. Of course, that is better for me since it would lessen the number of future chapters I would need to write before I could finish this fanfic, lol.

Anyhow, Internet connection is still very unstable and having to upload this chapter was kind of a big pain since it was really slow. Luckily, I was able to upload it for today. (For those wondering, I'm writing my author's notes on FFN's edit document function.)

Well, a lot of thanks for those who reviewed once again, lol, that seems to be becoming a redundant line for me. Anyways, here's the next chapter in **The Rabbit on the Moon**, it's entitled, **Feeling the Bonds**, enjoy!!!

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Feeling the Bonds**

They continued on running without looking back, for they could feel that those bandits were after them by now with the smoke clearing up little by little. Gone was the oil lamp and the only light guiding them as they made their escape was the large glowing orb that lights up the night sky.

They took a rough turn by the corner hoping to lose their pursuers while still holding each other's hands. Whether they were oblivious to that fact or not, it could only be guessed.

It was only when they took a turn towards a narrow pathway did they stop to take a breath from all that running, and it was only then that they knew who they were with…

"_Shin_?" She said quite surprised, "I didn't know that you were the one who grabbed me."

"The same goes for me, Lady _Megumi_." He replied, looking over at his shoulder to see if their pursuers had caught up with them.

"What was that you threw at the ground?" Izumi asked, curious.

Takuya replaced his sword back to its sheath before he replied whilst still trying to catch his breath. "Oh that? That's my hometown's specialty. It's called, 'Smoke Bomb'."

"Smoke Bomb?"

Takuya nodded. "Yes. I would really like to elaborate on that further but it seems that this is not a very good time for that."

"Of course." Izumi agreed for she too could hear footsteps, a lot of them, getting closer and closer, as well as sounds of rough voices.

They did not wait to see whom those footsteps and voices belonged to. Instead, they scurried through the narrow pathway with Izumi leading the way and Takuya very close behind her with his left hand on his sword's hilt.

As they continued to run deeper and deeper to who-knows-where, they began to hear the sound of running water.

"That sounds like a river." Takuya managed to say as they continued to run.

"But how?" Asked Izumi, "I thought the bandits buried the river."

"Well, I think it's possible that they didn't bury the whole river." Takuya replied, thinking hard. "If they were planning on occupying the village by themselves, then surely they would want some source of water and food. Maybe they made it look like they buried the whole river when in fact they only buried part of it just so they could scare the villagers."

"If that's the case," Izumi said as she came to a realization, "We can escape if we follow the river and head upstream."

Takuya nodded. "Let's just hope that the current isn't too strong or that the river isn't deep."

They ran and ran and soon they found themselves face to face with the rushing river which was in the western corner of the city. It was the only thing that was hindering their escape for they saw that the western wall on the other side of the river was completely destroyed and open for escape.

"What are we going to do?" She asked as she saw how strong and fast the current was.

Takuya began to scan his surroundings. If there was one thing he learned at the Academy, it was to always look for a way and never give up in a critical moment, and this, for him, was surely a critical moment.

He saw that there was an opening to the northern part of the river, it was perhaps the waterway of the village that keeps the river alive. But the current was too strong and the river was too deep for comfort. He then noticed something else in the river, it was the rubble that was possibly washed over when the walls of the village crumbled. Then he realized it, if he could see the bottom, then that must mean that that area wasn't deep at all.

He was about to tell Izumi/Megumi not to worry when an arrow suddenly came flying by which managed to hit his right arm causing it to bleed.

"_Shin!_" Izumi shouted, worry and surprise evident in his voice.

Takuya and Izumi both whirled around to see a small group of bandits, one of them holding the bow from which the arrow was fired from.

"Nice shot, mate." Said one of the bandits over to the one holding the bow.

"You can't escape from us now!" Said another bandit, "The river is too strong for anyone even a Knight of Frontiria, and you can't fight us with a wounded arm now, can you, brat?"

Takuya winced as he took the arrow with his other hand and pulled it off of his arm, he managed to do but it took quite a lot of effort from him. He looked over at Megumi/Izumi and told her that he was fine, then he glared back at the group of thugs that were now advancing closer to them.

"Give up, brat." Said the bandit, "It would be easier that way, for you, the lady and ourselves as well."

"You've got to be kidding me." Takuya said, mustering enough courage. He knew that, with a bad arm, he could do so little against so many bandits plus it would be hard fighting against someone while defending Megumi/Izumi. "You expect us to let you bandits get away with anything?"

The bandits stopped in their tracks and began to laugh at Takuya's attempt. Little did they know that he was stalling them. As the bandits were having their time jeering and making fun of their prey, Takuya took the opportunity to whisper over to Izumi whom he noticed was pretty much shaken and worried.

"Lady _Megumi_," he began, "we have no other options at the moment. Though I hate to admit it, these guys are right, I don't have much of a chance winning against them with an arm like this."

"Then are we going to give up?" She asked in disbelief. He had expected _Shin_ to come through for both of them.

Takuya managed to smile despite the pain that was throbbing in his right shoulder. "Of course not. Even if I am not a Full-Pledged Knight just yet, I still can't let them think they've beaten us. I still have some tricks up on my sleeve."

"What are you talking about?"

"The river is our only salvation." He managed to say.

"Are you out of your mind?" She asked, she could not help but be surprise that he would even think of using the river with such a strong current. "We can't survive if we use that, can't you see that the water is too deep and its current is strong to rip us to shreds?"

"You best give up, boy." Said a bandit, "Who knows, if you give up now, we may be able to spare you. After all, we're only after the lady."

"What did you say?" Izumi asked.

"You heard him." Said another bandit, "The boss got a job from a very powerful person and he wants you dead, so, what do you say boy?"

"Lady _Megumi_," Takuya said still glaring at the bandits who were now awaiting his decision. "I will never hand you over to them."

"You made the wrong choice, boy!" said the bandit. "Let's get 'em!"

And with that the bandits came rushing over towards them.

Takuya hurriedly held out his hand over to Megumi/Izumi and said with seriousness and sincerity in both his voice and his face, "Trust me."

When Izumi saw his face, she could not help but feel the sincerity in him and she can't help but remember the boy in her dreams – the dreams that had plagued her for as long as she could remember.

She nodded, and despite the uncertainty of what her companion would do, she agreed to trust him as she took his hand.

Takuya smiled, tightened his grip on Izumi's hand with his left hand and forcing his right to move to his pocket, he drew a couple more of the Smoke Bombs and threw them on the ground causing an uproar.

They took the opportunity and jumped into the river. Much to Izumi's surprise, the part where they had jumped in was quite shallow that it only went up to her neck. Takuya then gestured her to keep quiet and follow him and together they made their way to the dark opening that he saw.

The smoke screen soon faded and the bandits were surprise to see that neither Takuya nor Izumi were there. With Takuya and Izumi hiding by the small 'cave', they could easily hear what they were saying and because of that they heard the voice of the person who seemed to be leading that certain group of bandits.

"They couldn't have gotten far." He said, "make sure to notify the chief and tell him that we've injured the boy."

"Yes, sir." Said another gruff voice.

"We can't let them escape or the chief will get in trouble." Said the first bandit, "The boss'll give us a lot of money if we get to kill that _Orimoto_ girl…then maybe we can get away from this stupid dump."

Izumi was worried, not only for her safety for surely there was someone wanting her dead, but also at the fact that her disguise might be known and _Shin_ might know who she really is.

She waited along with him until footsteps showed that the bandits were moving out to search for them, and she waited still as she looked at _Shin_ waiting for his reaction on what he had heard.

"_Surely,_" she thought, "_he must've realized that the bandits meant her and that they were not mistaken._"

Minutes seemed to fly by and still _Shin_ didn't react on what he heard. Instead, when he was certain that there was no one waiting for them outside the cave, he sighed.

Anticipating that he would realize who she was, Izumi readied herself. But the words she thought she would hear never came.

Instead he said, "I think they're already gone from this side of the village."

He released his grip on Izumi's hand and placed it on his wounded arm wincing at the pain.

"_Shin_, are you alright?" She asked, quite worried. "That bruise seems pretty bad, we have to get out of the water soon or it'll worsen."

Takuya nodded, "You're right, my lady."

And with that, Takuya led the way swimming over to the cave's opening. He gestured Izumi to wait as he checked the surroundings. After making certain that there was no longer a soul around the area, he took her hand and they both made their way to the fallen western wall. It was a hard swim as the current was going along with them and they need to control themselves lest they would want to be carried away by the current.

They managed to swim over to the wall, however, and made their escape from the 'Buried City' of the thieves.

Takuya knew that they would widen their search outside the village, and if that's the case, he and _Megumi_ would have to get as far away from the city as possible. He knew as well, that with the night as dark as it was now, the bandits would have to wait until morning before they could run after them when they had figured out that they had managed to escape the village.

If that was the case, they could still manage to sleep or even rest when they are quite far from the village.

"I'm sorry, Lady _Megumi,_" he said which startled Izumi who had still been expecting to be called 'Izumi' rather than her fake name, 'Megumi'. "We would have to travel a bit farther before we can both change clothes."

"It's fine by me, _Shin_." She replied, still uncertain as to why he was hiding the fact that he knows who she really is. "But, are you sure you're alright with that wound?"

"I'm fine." He said smiling sincerely. "I can still manage, besides, I'm tougher than I look."

At that, Izumi could not help but giggle a bit and Takuya's grin widened, but soon he winced.

"Well, we better march off now or else they will catch up with us." Takuya said.

"What about Kouichi and my _brother_?"

"They would certainly be okay." He said, "Besided, Sir Kouji did say that if we were ever separated we will all make our way to Ciel and meet up there."

And with that, they began on walking as fast as they could.

Hours seemed to have flown by before they saw a small abandoned shack in the middle of nowhere. They made their way closer to the shack and they saw how rundown the place was and that it was really abandoned.

"Do you think it's safe to stay here for the night?" Izumi asked, her eyes weary.

Takuya went on ahead and inspected the building, after making sure that there weren't anyone or anything dangerous inside, he went back outside.

"We can rest here for the night." He said.

And with that they both went in. Once inside, Takuya placed down the bags which he was carrying and so did Izumi. Both of them began to look around for anything useful for their stay and they did found some thing which was a couple of candle sticks and blankets.

The house, apart from being rundown, had a couple of rooms and was made of wood. There was a kitchen which seemed to had not been used for ages, a bathroom which didn't have any clean water and a bedroom.

Izumi having inspected the whole place as well took out a candle and went over to the bedroom where Takuya was.

"How are we supposed to use this?" she asked holding the candle over to him, "We don't have any matches any longer after that 'dip' at the river."

"Don't worry about it." Takuya said as he took the candle and placed a hand over the wick and muttered something under his breath. When he took his took his hand off the wick, Izumi was surprised to see fire burning in it.

"How did you do that?" She asked surprised. "Don't tell me that's another one of your village's specialty."

Takuya grinned, "I'd tell you about it later, my lady, first I'd suggest you change your clothes before you catch a cold or something."

She would have argued and demanded to know, but she was already feeling cold and so she took a couple of dry clothing from her pack and went over the bathroom to change threatening to kill anyone who would take a peep at her while she is changing.

She soon finished changing and hoping to hear Takuya/Shin's explanation, hurried back to the bedroom only to see Takuya/Shin wearing nothing but a pair of dry, black pants.

Izumi could not help blushing at the sight, but her blush soon turned into worry as she saw Takuya's wound was still unclean and was still in need of attention – attention, which, he was not giving it.

"_Shin_, you should really clean that wound of yours." She said as she sat down beside him to inspect the wound a bit more closer, "If you don't you might lose that arm."

"Well, there's no point in making a fuss over it." Takuya winced as Izumi began to clean the area near his wound which had already been covered in blood. "We can't clean it without water. I doubt that the water left on the containers in this house is useable and there isn't any place to get water from. So it's no use worrying about it."

Izumi did not seem to listen to what he had just said, instead she moved back to where her pack was huddled in the corner and took a small box from it. Takuya followed her with his gaze, wondering just what she was doing.

She took a look at the contents of the box soon after she took it out of her back and nodding, went back to where Takuya sat with a questioning look.

"I knew it was a good idea to bring this first aid kit." She said as she sat down and opened the small box after placing it on her lap. "I was hoping that we would not have the opportunity to use it and that no one would be hurt, but I guess it can't be helped."

"You sure are prepared, Lady _Megumi_."

Izumi smiled, then taking a bottle out of the box and opening it, she poured some of its contents on a clean piece of cloth, looked at Takuya and said, "This might sting a bit, _Shin_."

He nodded and prepared himself for it. Even though he had been hurt a couple of times during training, this was actually the first that he was actually pierced by an arrow. He knew that whatever first aid treatment was given, he would eventually have to go to a doctor and ask the wound to be stitched and he knew that he would have to do it as soon as they come across a town which had the necessary medical equipment for the job. With that on his mind, he felt that this wouldn't hurt that much compared to how it would feel at that time.

Despite that, he could not help but grit his teeth and winced. The stinging feeling was soon over and he found his wound being dressed up in bandages by Izumi/Megumi.

"Done." She finally said after a while. "That's the best I can do until we find a doctor."

Takuya nodded and thanked her as he smiled. As he was about to stand up, Izumi noticed something on his back.

"_Shin_, what's that?" she asked.

"What's what, my lady?" he asked, confused.

"That small symbol on your back?" she asked as she took a curious look at it.

It seemed to be the same as the one on her back, the symbol was like a letter of a foreign alphabet but it was quite different than hers. She of course kept her mouth shut about herself, for she remembered her father forbidding her to talk about it.

_Shin _however, seemed not to care about hiding something like that as he began to tell her all about it.

"This?" he said, "It's a symbol that I'm from the Harim, the warrior village. I don't know exactly when I got it but my mother told me long ago that it was already on my back when I was born. She had said that it was perhaps a symbol of being destined for something."

"Do you know of any more symbols like that?" she asked, she didn't know why but she felt anxious to know.

Takuya nodded. "Harim is the only place in the world where the citizens all have a birthmark. I've heard there are ten different kinds all in all, but I have only seen three of them."

"Do you have a name for those symbols, Sir _Shin_?"

Takuya thought for a while then replied, "Actually, the Village Chief had once told me that mine was the Birthmark of Fire, he had said that it meant I was made to be a warrior with burning passion….Of course he was quite old by then and I was too young to know whether he was just playing with me, my lady."

"Well, I guess that is yet to be known." She said giggling.

Takuya grinned back and stood up as he took a shirt from his back and wore it on, wincing as he did. He hated the wound that was tormenting his movement.

Soon, they felt the need to eat. Takuya, once again chanting the same 'spell' he used to conjure fire, went outside to make a bonfire to cook their meal while Izumi carried the ingredients for their food outside as well as the utensils that they would be using.

As they were both preparing for their meal, Izumi can't help but wonder why Shin had not mentioned a thing about the whole bandit escapade. She wondered and wondered, trying to think up of a reason, but failing every time.

Every time she would take a quick look at Shin's face, she could see a sad look in his eyes. She wondered if it was because she had lied to him about her identity or something else of which she did not knew about. And she wondered whether she would open it up or not.

Ever since she had met this Shin-person, she has come across many mysteries. Why is it that she felt so relieved when she first saw him? Why is it that she feels so warm around him and only him? Why does his smile makes her feel secure? Why does she feel and talk with him with ease? Why does he remind her of the boy in her dreams? Why doesn't he seem to mind who she was or it seems to her? And why does she keep on thinking about him?

It was when they were eating their supper outside by the moonlight could she no longer keep the question that was bothering her to herself at that moment…

"Shin?" she asked as she looked down on her soup.

The young Knight Apprentice looked over at her and swallowed the food that was on his mouth and asked, "What is it, Lady _Megumi_?"

"Why is it?" She asked, making Takuya confused. "Why is it that you kept calling me that when you heard and understood what those bandits said? Can it be that you are just rubbing the fact that I lied in my face?"

Takuya's shock expression soon changed to a warm hearted smile as he shook his head. "That's really not the case, my lady."

"Then why?" She asked, her voice rising demanding an answer.

Takuya sighed, he had never liked explaining himself, his behavior to others, much less to her. Yet, he knew that he has to do it. She may be the daughter of his father's rival, but he had always believed that he was not his father and was not bound to such a rivalry.

"There has to be a reason why you told us that your name is Megumi, right, my lady?" He said looking at her. "I don't really believe anyone could do that without a very heavy reason for doing so, besides, I know full well what has been happening to those who were related or simply close to the Commanders of the East and West."

Izumi saw this as her moment to explain to him the reason why, he deserves it after all.

"My father seemed to have always been regarded as Commander Kanbara's rival, his enemy because of what seems to be different perspectives. That was how far as I know." She began, "He wanted me to investigate on a matter concerning Jerusha, the capital city, he had heard rumors that the King was plotting something that was not for the benefit of the people and so he wanted to make sure."

"A rumor?" Takuya asked setting his bowl down. "What rumor is that?"

"I don't know, that's why father wants me to investigate it. I was against this whole mission, of course, for it is not a job suited for a lady, but he insisted." She replied after taking a sip of her soup, "He knew it would be dangerous, that some people may try and stop me or worst, kill me, so he arranged that I would go as the Vice Commander's younger sister."

"Like I've said, you have your reasons." Takuya repeated, then in a whisper added, "Besides, you aren't the only one."

Izumi looked at him confused, "What did you say?"

"It's funny really how things happen, don't you think so, Lady _Megumi_?"

"Why do you insist on calling me by that name?" she asked and added, "And what do you mean by that?"

"Well, would you rather I call you Lady Izumi instead?" he asked smiling.

"Yes I would, that is, until we meet up with Kouichi and Kouji. When that time comes, please act like you didn't know." She replied, finishing her meal.

Takuya nodded. He then took another piece of wood and threw it in the fire, making it shed more light and warmth.

"Lady Izumi, can I ask you something?" he said, his eyes focused on the dancing flames of the campfire finding something of interest in it.

Izumi nodded, wondering what kind of question he would ask.

"What would you do if you were to meet the Eastern Commander's son?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"That's quite an out-of-the-blue question." She said.

Takuya forced a smile and nodded, "Yes, it seems that way doesn't it? So, my lady, what would you do?"

Izumi thought for a moment. She had not imagine such an event as to meet with her father's rival's son. She hadn't seen him in all of the parties for aristocrats even when she had seen the East Commander himself on certain occasions.

Takuya glanced at her, waiting patiently for her answer but dreading it as well. He could not help but think how unfair it would be if he knew who she really was and she did not know his true identity at all. He wanted to tell her but when he thinks of a reason other than that, he can't come up with any.

A gust of wind blew and they both shiver at the coldness of the wind that they huddled closer to the fire.

It was only then that she gave her answer.

"I guess," she began, Takuya listening intently. "I don't know until I meet him."

He was expecting that as one of her answers, but he wanted to have a clear view on what she really thinks and so, he asked, "Wouldn't you feel hatred towards him?"

"Why would I?" She asked back, "It's not like we're the ones who are arguing about something that the whole Frontiria seemed to have forgotten the reason why. Of course, it would still depend on his attitude."

Takuya smiled, he liked her answer and her eyes, they were pure and bear no signs of lying, unless she was already good at that that he could not see anything.

"That's good to hear."

"Huh?" Izumi asked, she was really confused as to where this conversation was going, but she had a strange premonition of where it was heading. "What are you saying, Sir _Shin_?"

"The only reason why I agree with the whole idea is when Kouichi told me of the possibilities that would happen if ever the Vice Commander knew who I was." He said as he stood up and looked at the moon. "I didn't know who you were at that time, but the fear of being hated for who I was made me agree to think up a different name for myself. Of course, even if I would have known beforehand who you really were, Lady Izumi, I would have still done the same thing.

"The Knight Apprentices' Captain had told us the importance of trust in missions, I thought that if anyone other than Kouichi would know who I was they would not trust me, especially someone who was close to the Western Commander." He went on, Izumi looking at him and listening at him intently. "But I guess it would better that it came from me rather than finding it out by accident…"

"What are you talking about, _Shin_?"

Takuya then took something out of his pocket, it was a crest engraved in pure gold that was certainly worth a lot of money. He then kneeled down beside Izumi and handed it to her.

Izumi took the golden crest and looked at it. Her expression changed from confusion to surprise when she saw what was engraved on that crest.

"This is…" she stammered. "The Kanbara Family's Crest…"

"Lady Izumi, my real name is Takuya Kanbara, the Western Commander's son and currently Knight Apprentice at the Knight Academy." He said as he looked directly in her eyes.

When he said those words, Izumi was shocked. This was certainly something she had not expected and she did not bother to hide that fact from Takuya.

**To be continued…**

A/N: Whew, that was quite a long chapter, 26 pages in total, and I was hoping it would only be as long (or short, depending on your perspective) as the previous chapters. Anyways, like I've said, it's all good.

Anyhow, hope you guys liked it!

I had to cut this chapter soon after that revelation (for both of them) for the fact that the story for the next chapter was already planned and cannot be changed despite the change in length of this chapter.

The fact that classes would be resuming for me would only mean that I would have to delay my updates, sorry about that. But that's not until this coming Wednesday. For now, I'm still on vacation mode so, as soon as I finish a chapter, I would upload it.

Well, with all that said, I guess it's time to log out now. By the way, be sure to send a review for this chapter since I want to hear what you guys think of the story thus far. I'll be waiting wink!


	7. At the End of the Wilderness

A Digimon Frontier Fanfic

By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)

A/N: Well, our classes have resumed and I have the whole week filled with subjects that I have to attend, all of them are Major Subjects and are pretty interesting as well. Anyhow, I have to apologize for the delay of this chapter. I was suppose to upload this last Sunday, but, circumstances hindered me from doing so ( I was asked by my sister to help her with her project, and it took quite a long time than I had expected). Anyways, the fact is that I have uploaded this now, so without further delays, I present to you all the next chapter of **The Rabbit on the Moon** entitled, **At the End of the Wilderness**. Enjoy and Happy Reading!!

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**At the End of the Wilderness**

"What are you talking about?" Izumi asked, shocked. "Are you making fun at me."

"No, of course not." Takuya replied.

Izumi stood up, she knew that it would have to be true. The crest which she was still holding in her hand was proof of it. No one but the Kanbara Family has one of it, and the only person in that family who had a golden one was the Commander, his wife and his son. But she did not wish to believe it.

Takuya stood up the moment that he saw Izumi rise from her seat.

"Lady Izumi?" he asked, wondering if she was alright.

"It's really funny, my father wanted the Knight Apprentices that we would be hiring to not belong to either the his corps or to the Western Commander's, but then it happens that you were chosen." She said. "Now I fear my father's wavering faith in the King would be known."

"What are you saying?"

"I bet you're dying to tell your father everything that you've learned, right?"

"Izumi, I've told you haven't I, I don't intend on choosing sides. What my mission entails me to do, I will do. Even if he is my father, he has his own life and I have mine." Takuya said. "You should know by now I am committed in doing my mission and my current mission involves protecting you and not tattling on to my father whatever I may find."

Izumi bit her lip. She knew he was telling the truth, but she cannot help but feel angry.

Instead of talking it over with Takuya, she immediately walked back inside the rundown house saying that she was already tired.

"Izumi…" he muttered as she vanished inside the house. He sighed, he knew that it was going to happen, yet this was better than her learning about it through another person or by accident.

He stood up, he too was tired and so, after putting the fire out and cleaning up the mess that they have made, he went inside. He then saw Izumi lying on the bed with clean blankets covering it, apparently she had dusted the thing before lying down. He wasn't sure if she was still awake or not, but knowing what his duty was, he decided to get a blanket and dust it off before sitting by the bed blocking the only entrance to the room and facing the large window where the moon was shinning brightly.

He then began to hum a tune; it was the lullaby that his mother used to sing for him when he was still a child and before he knew it, he fell asleep.

_It was a bright and perfect sunny day – perfect to go out hiking in the forest beyond the Village's southern gate where most of the villagers train to become stronger and later brought to the Knight Academy._

_Takuya was walking briskly, a small knife on one of his hands while his other hand was holding on to someone else, whom he was half-dragging._

_"Can't we slow down a little, Takuya?" a voice asked, it was from the person he was dragging._

_"We can't." He replied looking behind, "If we slow down, those things will catch up with us."_

_They continued walking as fast as they could. They would have ran, but the terrain was very dangerous to even try running what with all the traps lying around._

_The farther they got, the darker the forest seemed to become as the tall and thick trees began to shut out the sunlight._

_They slowed down a bit, any wrong turn may cause them to be lost in the forest with savage beasts surrounding them._

_"I'm scared." Said his companion._

_"Don't be." He said, "I'm here so you have nothing to worry about."_

_Just then, a sudden howl caused them both to jump in surprise. The wolves were close, and in such an environment they beasts have the upper hand._

With a sudden jolt, Takuya woke up.

"How long exactly are you planning on lying asleep like that?" Izumi asked, an eyebrow raised, one of her foot on Takuya's belly. Apparently, it was her way of waking him up.

"What?" He asked, as he sat up and rubbed his belly.

"Who was it that said we had to hurry or the bandits may catch up with us?" she asked as she went over to where their bags were placed and began to pack her things up.

Takuya looked over at Izumi who had her backed turned against him. He sighed thinking that this was not how he hoped to wake up. His stomach began to rumble a couple of seconds later that sent a blush to his face and he wondered whether Izumi had already eaten or if there was even enough left to eat.

"I don't think you can do much on an empty stomach, Sir Kanbara," Izumi suddenly said which surprised Takuya, "there's some food left on the table."

Takuya smiled as he stood up, "At least I can say that she's not that mad." He thought.

When they were all set, Takuya and Izumi began to make their way through the desolate landscape. Both of them wondering how far they would have to go or where exactly they were at, but none spoke. They also wondered where their two other companions are, their faith that both Kouji and Kouichi are safe made both of them put their minds at ease.

Takuya looked over at the Compass which he was holding in his good arm, the arrow pointed to the west which meant that they were indeed going the right way.

Hours passed and the small rundown cottage that they slept in was no longer visible and the scenery began to change. Forests began to come in view and the hard sand which they had walked in for the past day had become a ground of pasture. The only thing missing for them to know that they were truly near Ciel was the sight and sound of a river or any body of water.

"This is a good thing," Takuya said as he continued to look around. "we can be rest assured that the bandits from last night would no longer come to this area."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Izumi asked.

Takuya glanced over at his companion whom he saw was waiting for his reply, which of course, he gave her.

"That's because those bandits, The Scavengers, could only go as far as the place that they had called their territory. As far as I know, this area is full of bandits, which meant, there are many territories that can be found here. If we happen to be in another bandit group's territory then that would mean that the Scavengers would no longer be able to hunt for us."

Izumi looked over at him confused, then asked. "How did you know that we are no longer in the Scavenger's Territory? Not only that, but what makes being on another bandit's territory better?"

"Well, if those bandits owned this territory then they would have made their turf here since they would more likely be able to find more food here than on that fallen city." Takuya replied. "As for your other query, Lady Izumi, wouldn't you agree that having our things stolen is better than being killed?"

"I don't think I would like neither one of them." She retorted.

Takuya grinned, "Neither do I. It's just a thought, though, my lady. Of course, I would try my hardest to make sure that you get safely towards your destination and back at your abode."

After their discussion, the two continued to make their way through the forest, hoping that, if this was another bandit group's turf, they would not be able to face them.

As they continued on walking, Takuya could not help but think how this seemed pretty much like the dream that he had. He thought himself fortunate that it wasn't exactly like his dream, and hoped that it would not turn out to be a sprint into the deeper parts of the forest with a creature running after him.

The dream, he thought, was really vague for him to even tell whom he was running with and who was running after him. He was sure, however, that that dream seemed more than just a dream – it seemed like a memory to him.

He wasn't sure when exactly, but he knew that he was still a child back then and he knew where that dream, or memory, took place.

Izumi, who was walking behind him could not help but wonder what Takuya was thinking at such a moment, as they continued walking. She was sure that whatever it was, it was something that would make him lost in thought.

She was still surprised at how things turned out to be. She, Izumi Orimoto, the only daughter of the Eastern Commander is with him, Takuya Kanbara, the only son of his father's 'enemy', the Western Commander.

She could not help but think how different he was with the person who was fighting against her father. She could not help but think that if in this mission he was allowed to abandon her, would he do it?

She knew how important missions are for Knights, especially those who are still in-training, for mission are their passes to becoming full-pledge Knights.

She doesn't know much about him to make her fully trust him, yet. And he doesn't know a lot about her as well, yet, he was willing to risk his life even when he learned of who she was.

Silence was what accompanied them as hours passed and they find themselves deeper in the forest with only the small path guiding them to where the exit supposedly was to be found, only resting every once in a while to catch their breaths or to eat their meal.

It was almost dark fall and they still continued to push forward, but their hike was soon interrupted as rain started to pour down heavily on them and thunder with lightning roared on the sky overhead.

Looking for a place that would shelter them from the rain, Takuya and Izumi found a small cave underneath a large oaken tree. The cave was big enough to fit five people in it and still have room. It wasn't the perfect accommodation that either of them would have wanted, but it was the only place available in the forest that they were in.

Both of them was wet from the rain, and soon, a cold wind began to blow that made Izumi, who had been unaccustomed to sudden weather changes, to shiver. Takuya who saw her feeling cold, of course went ahead and did something.

Muttering a different incantation from the one he used the night before, he managed to summon fire that could he threw to the ground which made a campfire for both of them.

"Thank you." Izumi said as she drew closer to the fire, seeking warmth.

Takuya smiled at her and looked back to the outside which was now being cleansed by the hard pouring rain.

"I think it would take a while before the rain stops." He stated, his eyes still lingering on the forest. "I guess we'd have to spend the night here, Lady Izumi. I hope you wouldn't mind."

Izumi looked over at his direction. "As if there's anything we really can do about it."

Silence filled the air once more. It was apparent that both of them were feeling awkward with each other. The rain seemed to grow stronger and stronger by the minute that it seemed like it was not just your ordinary rain, but a storm instead. There were still some occasional thunder claps and lightning flashes that went along with it.

"Do you have any idea how those bandits could have known that you would be heading that way?" Takuya suddenly asked catching Izumi off guard. "It seems like they were certain of who you were and that you would be heading their way with how many they were there and how prepared they were."

Izumi shook her head. "I really don't have any idea. As far as I know, this mission is even kept secret from father's superior, the Eastern General."

Takuya thought about it for a moment, then said, "I know it might not be my place to say, my lady, but perhaps there is a traitor among your father's midst."

Izumi eyed him suspiciously. "Of course I have considered that, I have even considered the fact that you might be giving them hints of where we are heading."

Takuya looked at her, quite taken aback by what she had said. "How can you say that, Lady Izumi. I have no intention on stabbing anyone in the back. Besides, you can't really call me a traitor since technically, I am not serving under anyone just yet."

Izumi thought for a moment, it was true that she had suspected him at first, but that was no longer the case.

"Then how about that companion of yours, Sir Kouichi?" she asked.

Takuya shook his head. "I find that hard to believe. He is a Knight Apprentice just like me. Not only that, but his loyalties lie on neither your father or mine."

"What do you mean?" Izumi asked.

"Kouichi is the Southern General's grandson." Takuya replied. "It's in their family code never to get involve in other family's feuds."

"The Southern General's grandson, huh?" Izumi said, "It must be hard for him, his family must be expecting a lot from him."

Takuya nodded. "I find myself jealous of him sometimes."

"Jealous of Kouichi?"

"His family might be expecting a lot from him, but still, they respect his decisions." Takuya explained with a sigh. "There might be a lot of rules in their family but he still has freedom to do anything he wishes, compared to me."

"You seem not to like your father very much." She noted.

Takuya looked over at her, "I used to like him a lot. I even looked up to him and thought that I would want to be just like him when I grow up. But, ever since my mother died, he changed. He has been more bent on having power more than anything else. Most people thought that, if I were to be given a choice on who I would serve under, I would choose my father, but actually, I would rather not."

"I see." Izumi said, she clearly knows how he was feeling, for she sometimes felt that way as well. But unlike him, his father still had some sense in his thick skull. "I'm sorry."

The apology surprised the young knight-in-training. "Sorry? For what, my lady?"

"For thinking ill of you." She replied. "I guess, even when I said I wouldn't judge others, I have still judged you even when there are a lot of things I still don't know about you."

Takuya smiled as he looked at her. "You don't have to apologize for anything, Lady Izumi. I fully understand your actions, though I am glad that you are no longer angry of me."

Izumi smiled back thinking how he really resembles the boy in his dreams. She could not help but think of what a coincidence that Takuya was from Harim, the same village where she had dreamed she was saying good-bye to someone. She wanted to ask him if, by any chance, he remembered a girl from when he was a kid, and even the story of the Rabbit on the Moon – searching for any hints if he was indeed the one.

But, there was a fear lingering in her heart -- A fear of hearing the answer from him, especially if he was indeed the one. She could very well imagine her father's reaction when he hears that he has fallen for the son of his rival.

It was not that she has actually fallen in-love with him. No, not at all. She was always on guard with her feelings with anyone, especially him, now that she knew who he was.

She was snapped from her thoughts when Takuya suddenly stood up and a strong thunder roared through the heavens.

Takuya seemed to have noticed that she jumped in surprise, so he said, "It's alright, my lady. Stay here."

"Why? Where are you going?" She asked, she wasn't frightened at the now darkening skies, but of what the dark might be hiding.

Takuya pointed at the now open bag where their food rations were kept. It was almost empty, and as it seems, it would only be good for one more serving and Takuya was obviously giving her that one last serving of meal.

"We don't have anything for both of us to be able to eat, but since we're in a forest, I might find something to eat." He explained. "You best stay here, my lady."

"I know where in a forest filled with threes but with how dark it is outside, I don't think you'd be able to find anything to eat at all."

Takuya grinned, "You seemed to have forgotten that I can light any path, my flame isn't about to be diminished by some rain. Not only that Lady Izumi, but along the way I spotted a mango tree. Eating Mango is better than eating nothing, wouldn't you agree?"

"What if bandits attack while you are outing picking for some food?" She asked.

"Don't worry." Takuya said, grinning, "If you find yourself in trouble, just call for me and I'll come rushing back here. Okay? In the meantime, you go on ahead and eat what's left of our rations."

Izumi nodded and Takuya went on his way. She could see his silhouette as he made his way to a large tree not so far from where they were hiding. Having calmed herself down a bit, Izumi went on ahead and prepared her meal.

The words that he said suddenly brought back her thoughts to the most familiar dream. She was already getting annoyed of having to think of that dream over and over again, it would have been good if she could remember such events ever happening, but she couldn't.

She looked over at the ingredients that were left and she could easily see that there was still plenty for the both of them so she could not help but wonder why he would rather have mangoes instead. She made a mental note to ask that of him later when he returns.

Meanwhile, outside, Takuya had managed to climb up the tree. The lighting and thunder had subsided while the rain continued to pour down on him. He did not mind though, he looked over at his surroundings atop the tree and he saw, not far off, a small village with lights.

"That must be Ciel." He thought, although it was still pretty difficult to see.

He squinted his eyes some more as he held his clenched, fiery fist above his head. He saw that they were not far off from their destination, just a day more of hiking and they would be in Ciel. Knowing this, he picked more mangoes before climbing down the tree.

When he got back to the cave, he saw that Izumi had finished her supper.

"We don't have far to go, my lady." He said as he helped himself with some of the Mangoes he had picked. "We're already nearing Ciel."

"How did you know?" she asked as she peeled one of the mangoes that Takuya handed to her for her dessert.

"I saw it on top of the tree. I'd say we'll be arriving there tomorrow, before supper." Takuya replied.

"I see."

Takuya looked at her confused. She did not seem all that happy at all, instead she was worried.

"What's wrong, Lady Izumi?" he asked, concerned.

"It's nothing, I just can't help but wondering how you could be calm about all this."

"Calm? About what?"

"I told you about the reason why we are heading for Ciel and then to Jerusha, right?" She began to explain.

Takuya nodded.

"There is one thing I did not mention to you before," she went on, "but it seems like your father has something to do with it as well as the Northern and Western Generals."

Takuya was silent for a while. Somehow, he didn't feel surprised about the news. He did not understand why, but he somehow expected to hear something like that.

"Aren't you a least bit concerned, Sir Takuya?" she asked.

Takuya had already finished three whole mangoes and was now going for his fourth when he shook his head and replied, "Not really. I mean, I am worried about what will happen if, for instance, I happen to bump across my father while I am with you and the others and I am worried that, if whatever this rumors are saying is true and if my father is somehow connected with it, of how people would think that I am for my father. But apart from that, the only concern I have is keeping you safe while the Vice Commander is away."

"You seem to really be into this mission of yours." Izumi said. "You really want to be a knight, don't you?"

"Not really." Takuya replied, "I can't even remember the reason why I went on ahead to the Knight Academy."

"Then why are you so hell-bent on completing this mission?" she asked. "I mean, most of the Knight Apprentices that I have heard of who doesn't really want to be Knights just keep it easy, but you seem to be a lot different from all of them. Is it because you don't want your father to feel embarrassed if you fail at something?"

Once again, Takuya shook his head laughing. "Not really. I have already disappointed my father quite a few times in the Academy. If you want to know, the only thing I excel in is sword handling and common sense, apart from that, I'd say I'd failed my father quite a few times."

"Then why?"

Takuya looked at her intently. His eyes filled with seriousness as he asked, "Do you really want to know?"

Izumi nodded. "I asked, didn't I?"

"Alright then can I ask you if you trust me?"

"Yes." Came the uncertain reply.

"You're not too sure about that, aren't you, Lady Izumi?" he said.

"Okay, so maybe just a little bit."

Takuya smiled. "That's okay."

"But what does trusting you have to do with my query?" She asked.

"Because, ever since I learned of who you were, I knew it would be hard for you to trust me, just as I, at times, find it hard to trust you." He explained. "But even if it has just been a day since we both had our secrets told – of who we really are, I wanted to change that. I wanted to prove to you that not everyone related to my father, not everyone who follows his commands are like him. I want to complete this mission, to ensure your safety even if it means that I had to take a bullet for you, I would do so, just so you could trust me."

"Takuya…"

"Even if you order me otherwise, unless I have proven that I am worthy of your trust, you would find me very stubborn." He concluded.

Izumi smiled. She could very well see the stubbornness in his eyes as he looked at her seriously. She really could not help but think how different Takuya Kanbara is from all the other Knight Apprentices she had met. She somehow felt that he could probably go the distance, to heights that even his father could only dream of.

As for Takuya, he knew that she might not realize it. But he could feel that little by little, he had somehow fallen for her. What he said, although he didn't say it, was a promise that he intended to keep. A promise that not even his father or her father could stand against it.

**To be continued…**

A/N: Another long chapter. Well, I hope you guys liked it. I wanted to make this chapter shorter than how it came out to be, but it was proved impossible. It seems like this chapter was meant to be written longer so that for the next chapter…well, that's a surprise, lol.

Once again, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed for the past chapters and for those who continue to read this fanfic. For those waiting for the CoT: CB update, it seems like you guys would have to wait a bit more. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Well, that's about all there is for today.

Until next time, don't forget to leave a review for this chapter!

_Ja ne!_


	8. The Still Village, Ciel

A Digimon Frontier Fanfic

By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)

A/N:

Okay, so I must admit that I have delayed my updates far too longer than I had expected and planned. I didn't think that it would take months before I can actually update another chapter in this fanfic. I find myself so busy for the past months and even now, what with so much projects: two games that I am making, a contest I am now a part of, and a bunch of other things, I find it hard to update as frequently as before. But I do plan on updating as much as I can while I am on vacation. Anyhow, more of my Author's Note after you guys have read this ninth chapter of this story. Hope you like it, enjoy!

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Still Village of Ciel**

It had already been three days since Takuya and Izumi finally arrived at Ciel and since Takuya had finally got his wound cared for. In the course of those three days, there was not a sign of their two other companions and this began to worry them both.

Ciel was a little town near the eastern borders of the kingdom. It was quite a simple town, the kind of town where farming was the major source of livelihood and where neighbors knew each other very well.

When they first arrived at Ciel, Takuya and Izumi could already sense the hospitality of the villagers. They were too hospitable that it first aroused the suspicions of them both, but, they soon found out that it was customary in that particular place to always treat guests with respect and kindness – a custom that is quite surprising.

Takuya had been taking things easy, although keeping a close watch on the people that surrounds him even as he was recuperating from his injury. Despite the continued orders of his companion for him to stay indoors and in bed, he kept his stubborn attitude and continued to accompany her even when she was merely strolling.

"Why are you so stubborn, Sir Takuya?" Izumi finally asked, aggravated. "Don't you want your injury to heal faster?"

"Of course I want my arm to be better as son as possible, my lady." He replied. "But lying in bed won't do me any good. Besides, my arm will heal when it heals and that's that."

"You are even worse than my bodyguard back at home when it comes to stubbornness." She finally said as she sighed in defeat.

"I'll take that as a compliment then." He said. "We can never be too sure, Lady Izumi. An enemy may be within our midst."

The two continued on walking around Ciel in hopes of bumping into either Kouji, the Vice-Commander, or Kouichi. After hours of walking, they finally gave up and returned to the inn that they were staying at.

When they have at the inn, they were surprised to see the inn-keeper waiting for them more eagerly than he had been for the past few days.

"You two had finally returned, I've been waiting for the past hour and a half." The inn-keeper said.

"Waiting for us? Why?" Izumi questioned.

As soon as the question left her, the inn-keeper immediately handed her a piece of paper which was folded neatly and was addressed to her, immediately she recognized the handwriting.

"A young man with long, black hair tied behind his head came here and asked me to deliver that letter to you." The inn-keeper explained. "If I am not mistaken he was with another man with short, black hair."

"That must be the Vice-Commander and Koichi!" Takuya whispered over at Izumi.

Izumi nodded and with that, they both thanked the inn-keeper and went directly at their room.

It was a funny thing how they managed to find themselves sleeping at the same room. When they first arrived, disheveled and with Takuya injured, they were immediately brought over to the inn-keeper. All Takuya could remember at that point was the inn-keeper asking them several questions.

At that point, the pain in Takuya's arm had already doubled due to the fact that it was already in dire need of medical attention – a medical attention that Izumi's first aid was not able to do. With Takuya in agony and with Izumi flustered, both of them were not actually listening to what their host was saying. All they could remember replying was 'Yes' to every single question that came their way that night. Of course, one of the queries was about the room that they would be taking, and thus, unknowingly, they booked themselves only one room.

"It was a good thing that there are two separate beds in this room." Takuya thought to himself. He would not risk what scene Izumi would bring upon the matter if it was otherwise.

As the two seated opposite each other on the chairs that were part of the small and simple dining set of the room, Izumi quickly folded open the parchment which was obviously a letter to the both of them.

"So, what does it say, Lady Izumi?" Takuya asked after Izumi had read to herself the contents of the letter.

At that, Izumi read the letter out loud, and it goes as so:

_Megumi and Shin,_

_You should not worry about neither Kouichi or myself for we are both safe. We have heard yesterday from some of the villagers that you both manage to arrive at Ciel safely. Unfortunately, we cannot meat there as I first thought. It seems that the Western Commander had already learned of us meeting there somehow, either that or they read our movements._

_As such, we cannot be seen together in broad daylight. Kouichi and myself already prepared for our journey. I hope that Shin is already healed if not, then we would have no choice otherwise. _

_We have secured four stags that we would be using as we make haste to Guara. We will meet both of you tomorrow night by the outskirts of the village. Be prepared by then and make sure that you tell no one that you would be leaving. Also, I would like to instruct both of you to burn this letter the moment you have both read its contents, we do not wish for them to know our trail._

_Kouji_

"Tomorrow night, huh?" Takuya muttered loud enough for Izumi to hear. "I guess I have no choice, it's a good thing that my arm doesn't hurt as much as it did before."

"I don't understand, how could your father know that all of us with meet here?" Izumi asked.

"Don't look at me, I didn't tell my father, if that is what you are thinking." Takuya quickly stated, his face was serious as he too wondered about the same thing. "We should really be careful, my Lady, it's safe to say now that we really have a traitor in our midst."

Izumi nodded, "I'm sure Kouji is also thinking about the same thing and I am sure that he had already questioned your companion, Kouichi, about it as well."

"Well, there is still that possibility that someone had been spying on us." Takuya said in a low whisper. "We should be careful when we speak, Lady Izumi, we don't know if the walls here have ears."

Izumi nodded.

Takuya then stood up and went over the door, creeping towards it while making sure not to make any sound. When he got to the door, he pressed his ear over it to hear if there is someone on the other side listening to their conversation.

It took a while before Takuya finally moved away from the door.

As Takuya was checking on the door, Izumi, with the letter still clenched in her hands went to the side of the window and peered over it. Like Takuya, she too did not find anyone near.

When they have made sure that no one was around, Izumi went over to where Takuya was standing and gave him the letter as well as telling him to burn it with his flame. Takuya nodded and did so. Soon, the parchment was burnt and was nothing more than black ashes on the wooden floor.

"So, how do we get out of this inn without the knowledge of the others boarding here and the inn-keeper?" Izumi asked in a whisper, they were now careful not to speak loudly in fear that there was someone they could not see who was eavesdropping on them.

"I actually have no idea at the moment, my Lady." Takuya whispered back. "One thing is for sure, though, we can't go out through the front door, we have to make our own exit."

Izumi nodded at that. Like Takuya, she could not think about any other way to go unnoticed. Both of them, however, agreed to prepare for their departure by buying supplies from the shop found on the northern part of the village. But, they also agreed that they would buy separately, and little by little, so as to not arouse any suspicion.

Hours have passed and night was already nearing the still and peaceful village. After having to go back and forth from the shop to the inn, Takuya and Izumi finally have enough supplies that would last until they get to the next settlement in their destination.

It was a tough job having to pretend that they kept on forgetting some things to buy just so they could complete their supplies. It was a good thing, though, that the old woman, who was in-charge with the shop that moment, did not mind them returning over and over again – she actually was thankful for the flow of money that day.

It was only after supper and after they had made sure that no one was near their room and listening to their conversation did Takuya and Izumi began to plan their 'escape'.

"What about if we use the windows?" Izumi asked as they began their brainstorming.

"That would not do us any good, my lady." Takuya replied. "We might cause a ruckus and besides, the window is facing at the direction of the village square and I have noticed that there are many couples out at such an hour."

"Very well then, the windows are out of the picture."

"We could sneak through the kitchen door…" Takuya said.

"That's not possible, Takuya." Izumi quickly said, "I've seen the cook guard the kitchen. Even a fly can't get pass him unnoticed."

"Okay then, where else could we get out from?" Takuya wondered.

Time seemed to fly by so fast that it was already late before they finally decided to rack their brains tomorrow morning. They were already both tired, and they knew that they would need to rest, especially since tomorrow night they would probably be riding the night away with their two other companions…that is, if they manage to find a way out of the village before then.

Morning soon came, and immediately after breakfast, Takuya and Izumi went out to think while walking around Ciel.

It was only when lunch was nearing, did they actually think of something…

"Takuya, tell me, do we actually need to get out of here when the sun sets?" Izumi asked.

"When the sun sets?" Takuya asked back, "Well, I don't really remember the Vice-Commander stating the exact time that we should get out of this place to meet them."

"Then, in that case, we could get out of this village earlier than we should." Izumi said.

"What do you mean?" The Knight Apprentice asked.

"Well, I just thought that we could act as if we are going to have a picnic outside town." Izumi stated. "If we were to act like we would do so, then we could get out of this city without being suspicious as early as this afternoon."

"But would they believe us if we say we are going there just to have a picnic?" Takuya asked.

"Well, I've heard from some people that that place is a good place to have a picnic, so we'll only have to say just that." She replied. "If we were to be asked why we would have a picnic at such an hour, then I could simply state that it could help you relax a bit or something like that."

Takuya thought for a moment. He thought long and hard searching for any holes that may jeopardize everything, but he could find none. Smiling he faced Izumi and told her how brilliantly she thought that up.

"I can't believe we were actually trying hard to escape from here as if we were some kind of prisoners." Takuya said with a laugh.

"Yes, it is quite funny, isn't it?"

"But, we have to hide after we get out of here, my lady." Takuya said. "We can't risk being followed when we get out of the village."

Izumi nodded in agreement.

Quickly, the two finished their lunch and prepared the belongings that they have. Some were hidden underneath large picnic baskets while others were merely hanging on their back.

The moment that they were questioned by the inn-keeper where they were going, they immediately made up and excuse of having a picnic and when they were asked if they were going to spend the night at the village, Takuya quickly answered, without the consent of Izumi, that they would be camping that night.

The inn-keeper was surprised at their sudden decision, but merely shrugged doubt out of his head as he promised Takuya and Izumi that their rooms would still be available when they return the next morning.

Takuya and Izumi thanked him, although they knew that it would be quite a while before they would actually be returning and even they were not sure if they would actually be stopping by the village on their way back.

They made their way towards the entrance of the village while making sure that no one was following them and that they were not acting very suspicious. They guarded their every movement believing that their lives could be at stake.

Finally, they were outside the village. With as much haste as they could muster but still acting inconspicuous, they began to head towards the small forest just beside the village outskirts. They have both agreed, at that moment, that they would hide from view – anyone's view, while making sure that they have a good view of everything themselves.

"Takuya," Izumi began when dark was already nearing. "I would like to remind you to act as though we both still don't know who the other really is, okay?"

Takuya nodded with the small flame still lit on one of his fingers, "You don't have to remind me of that, my lady. I know full well the consequences otherwise. I would not like the Vice-Commander to think ill of me just because I am my father's son."

"That's good that we both understand our predicament." Izumi said as a finishing sentence.

Takuya agreed with her, and they both continue to sat silently in wait for their companions to arrive.

It was only when the moon was already overhead and casting its silver rays with the stars in the horizon that they heard the neighing of the stags that Kouji had told them of and heard the voices of the companions that they have not seen in a while.

After making sure that these people were indeed Kouji and Kouichi, Takuya and Izumi went out of their hiding place to meet up with them.

"We were worried, _brother_." Izumi said. "We thought that you two have been captured…or worst…killed."

"Sorry for worrying you both." Kouji said, then faced Takuya and said. "Thank you for keeping an eye out for my sister. I really appreciate it, _Shin_."

Takuya smiled, then replied. "It's really nothing, Vice-Commander. It is my duty after all."

Kouji nodded.

"You had me worried for a second, _Shin_." Kouichi added. Then saw the bandage on Takuya's arm. "I've heard you were hurt but I did not expect to see a bandage around your arm still."

"It's just a minor mishap on my part, Kouichi, nothing to worry about." Takuya replied. "Besides, my arm is mostly healed now."

"That's a good thing, _Shin_." Kouji said. "We don't know if those bandits or some other group of people would continue to pursue as, we better have enough offense and defense to fend them off if they intend to do so."

"I will do my part, Vice-Commander!" Takuya said with a salute.

After making sure that their baggage was well strapped on the stags, all of rode off into the night towards their next destination – the City of Guara.

To be continued…

A/N:

Okay, so that's all for the ninth chapter. I have to thank all of you who continue to patronize my work despite being late at updating it. Don't worry though, I plan on finishing every fanfic I submit here.

I plan on updating this comming sunday, if I could, which I do hope I could as I also want to know the ending of this fanfic as much as the rest of you, lol.

Anyhow, that about wraps this update up. Hope you guys take time to review on this chapter since I would really appreciate it if you do.

With that said, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! See ya all soon!


	9. Catastrophe

A Digimon Frontier Fanfic

By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)

A/N:

First off, I want to apologize for making a mistake in saying that the previous chapter was the ninth when in fact it this is the ninth chapter. Apart from that, I would have to tell everyone that this chapter is perhaps one of the shortest ones. Well, I really don't have anything left to say for now, except read on and hope that you guys like this new chapter!

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Catastrophe**

As the dawn breaks upon the quartet on horseback and the first rays of orange light emanating from the sun cast itself on the peaceful landscape filled with nature's beauty, the said riders were full of enthusiasm on their journey despite the fact that they have not slept over the night. They pressed on their journey continuously, only stopping a few minutes for the stags to rest for fear and worry still lingered that the bandits who attacked them at the buried city would still be hot on their trail.

Over the course of the night as they galloped away under the blackness of night, neither Takuya nor Izumi spoke with each other in fear that they would somehow blow the other's cover and let something slip. Of course, they tried not to make the uneasiness seem obvious and if it wasn't for the mere fact that it was night-time, their companions would have easily noticed that something was up with those two. They were, for that fact, fortunate that their two other companions were as tired as they felt.

As the sun continues to rise over the mountains by the distance, Kouichi could not help but as their superior if there were any chances that they could rest that morning and possibly have breakfast.

"We will," came Kouji's reply, "soon after we get far enough that no one would be able to catch up to us for days."

"If you want something like that, Vice-Commander," Takuya voiced out, his voice giving signs that he was as sleepy as he looked. "then I guess we would not be resting for quite a while. If you mind me saying so, it would do us no good if our pursuers have stronger horses and if they already know where we are heading."

At those words, Kouji immediately stopped his horse and turned it around to face Takuya who, like Kouichi and Izumi, were as surprised as he was.

"What makes you say that those bandits and their leader are already waiting for us?" The Vice-Commander asked, eyeing him with suspicion.

"I didn't say anything like that, Vice-Commander." Takuya replied. "I just meant that it would be more in our favor if they would catch up with us when we are well-rested than otherwise."

"Is that really what you are trying to say?" he asked, suspicion still evident in him. "If I learn that you are a spy for whoever sent those bandits after us I'll…"

"_Brother_!" Izumi suddenly cut in. "_Shin_ is not a spy, I can assure you of that!"

"And I can vouch for him as well, Vice-Commander." Kouichi added.

"What makes both of you so sure about that?" he asked again.

"Because, if he is a spy, as you say, _brother_, then he could have easily handed me over to those bandits and to the person who ordered those bandits when he had a chance back in Ciel, but he did otherwise." Izumi stated.

"And I know him long enough to know just where his loyalties lie, sir." Kouichi stated as well. "And I can assure you that his loyalties lie with us and in this mission given to us by the academy."

Kouji did not say anything after that, instead, he wheeled his horse around and continued on the direction that they were heading.

Takuya breathe a sigh of relief as he thanked Kouichi who waved it off saying that it was nothing and following Kouji suite. He then faced Izumi and thanked her as well.

"I owe you for that, my lady." Takuya said.

"It's nothing." Izumi replied, then added. "But you should be careful of what comes out that mouth of yours, especially around Kouji."

"I didn't think he would think ill of what I just said."

"Well, he is always like that, as I've heard people talk about him." Izumi explained. "I can tell you this though, he still does not trust you fully yet."

And with that, Izumi galloped after Kouji and Kouichi.

"Well, at least you trust me." Takuya thought to himself as he too followed.

Two and a half hours passed by before the Vice-Commander finally agreed to the request and pleas of his companions and they finally rested and ate breakfast by an oasis

signaling that they would be passing the borders of Ciel and entering the borders of Guara.

Everyone quickly finished their meal in hopes to get a quick rest, as Kouji announced that they would be departing after two hours.

As Izumi, Kouji and Kouichi rested, Takuya, after waiting fifteen minutes following his breakfast, stood up and went towards where their bags and other equipment were packed and there he took out his sword from its sheath.

He winced as he held it with his right hand, even though it has been healing quite well, he could still feel the sting from the wound up his arm. Yet, he soon shrugged the pain off as he began with his morning training.

At first, he just waved his sword left to right and vice-versa with his right hand, making his body get used to the stinging pain until finally he could feel it less and less before doing some more 'heavy' training with his sword.

As he trained, he made sure not to make a sound that could stir his sleeping companions awake. His mind began to wander as his body continued on with its training. He can't help but wonder why they were heading to Guara and why, as he have learned from Izumi, the Vice-Commander would only go as far as that.

Takuya sighed. He was never much of thinker when it comes to these things, so instead of delving too much into it, he shook the thoughts off and began to focus more on what was more important at the moment – his training.

An hour elapsed before he finally stopped, placed his sword back to its sheath and sat down to rest, and minutes later, fell into a light slumber.

He was soon awakened by shouts and warring voiced. As his eyes adjusted, he saw that there were several people with weapons unleashed, fighting off Kouji and Kouichi.

"What's going on?" Takuya asked.

"Finally!" he heard Izumi say as she rushed towards him. "You're finally awake! Go on and help Kouji and Kouichi!"

"But my sword…" Takuya was about to say before Izumi handed it to him.

"There." She said.

But as Takuya was about to approach Kouji and Kouichi, he was suddenly given a different mission from them.

"We can deal with these guys ourselves,_ Shin_." Kouji suddenly shouted amidst the roar of battle, "I don't really trust you just yet, but I don't have any other options at the moment. Just worry about protecting my sister, understand?"

"Yes, sir!" came the reply.

Takuya then immediately went in front of Izumi, ready to defend her no matter what the cost.

"So, can you please explain to me now what is going on?" Takuya asked as he parried one of the armored man's attack and countered with his own.

"Well, these guys in armor just suddenly showed up out of nowhere." Izumi replied. "About a couple of minutes before you woke up."

"Do you think they are working for the same guy as those bandits?" Takuya asked killing off two other men in the process.

"Maybe." Izumi replied. "But I never saw armor like these guys are wearing before."

Takuya did not respond to this as he concentrated on making sure no one would come inches near Izumi. As he was doing so, he can't help but think that he had seen the armor before but he just can't remember where or when. He was so deep in thought that he did not notice someone creep up from behind Izumi and grab her.

She screamed pulling Takuya out of his thoughts. He whirled around only to be met by a crushing blow to his stomach sending him off to a large boulder on the other side of the oasis semi-unconscious.

"_Shin!_" his companions, Kouji and Kouichi shouted.

They were about to rush to his aide when they too found themselves knocked unconscious by a blow from behind.

"Takuya! Kouji! Kouichi!" Izumi shouted as she tried to get free from the large, armored man's grasp.

Her struggle was futile as she soon found herself knocked out as well.

But before she did so, she heard a familiar voice speak:

"Alright men, we got what we came here for." Came the familiar voice. "Let's deliver her to our leader."

From the other side of the oasis, Takuya tried his best to stand back up.

"No…" he muttered to himself, pushing to the limits. "I have to…"

But, alas, it was also useless. Before becoming fully unconscious, Takuya caught a glimpse of where Izumi's captors were headed…

To be continued…

A/N:

Well, that's that for today's chapter. After this chapter, the plot would really be picking its pace up. I hope you guys review and tell me what you think about this one. I may update again on tuesday or wednesday depending on whether I would finish doing my clearance for school on monday, if not, then expect an update sometime later this week.

Well, with that said, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out!

Don't forget to review now, k?


	10. Discord and Lectures

A Digimon Frontier Fanfic

By: Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)

A/N: Well, it took longer than expected. I have to apologize once again for the delay of updates. I was so busy with my contest piece that I didn't have time to right until just recently. Anyhow, thanks for the reviews that you have been giving my fanfics, everyone, I really appreciate it. Anyhow, I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter!

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Discord and Lectures**

Takuya stirred awake, his head pounding and spinning. Placing a hand on his forehead, he felt something wet and somewhat sticky. Upon looking at his hands as his vision returned to normal, he saw that it was blood muddled with the sand from the ground.

He adjusted himself on the large bolder which had now cracked in the middle from his impact. He tried to remember what had happened, but before he could someone grabbed him by the collar of his cape before punching him at the side of his face sending trickles of blood splattering on the cold and sandy ground.

"Vice Commander!" Came the surprised shout of Kouichi as he struggled to make his superior release his grip on his friend.

"You idiot!" Shouted Kouji, his eyes flaming with anger, his teeth gritted as he said those words. "You were supposed to protect her! Why the hell did you let those men take her away?"

"W-what?" Takuya questioned, his memory still hazy on what had happened before hand and the shock of having been punched soon after he had regained consciousness did not help at all. "What are you talking about, Vice Commander?"

"_Shin_," Came Kouichi's explanation in his calm voice. "Lady _Megumi_ had been taken by those men – those knights we fought earlier."

"What?" Came a surprise reply. But soon, the surprised look on Takuya's face vanished as he remembered fully what had happened soon after awaking from his rest.

They had been ambushed unexpectedly on their way to Guara. He could not accept that by having his mind wander at such a critical time, thinking of other things, he had allowed Izumi to be captured by whoever it was they were facing.

He had been tasked to do something by a superior and he had failed. He did not like the feeling one bit. Yet, he acknowledged his failure with his head bent low, his eyes not wanting to meet the eyes of the person who had trusted him, although the trust at that time was because they did not have much of a choice. Despite that, a trust is a trust and once trust is broken it is hard to fix – he knew that.

Kouji was still fuming.

This was the very reason why he would rather work alone than have some inexperience apprentices tag along with him – this was the very reason why he loved working by himself on missions, because no one would be able to disappoint him as much as this person right in front of him had disappointed him.

His anger and resentment over this person made his mind clouded that instead of keeping something a secret he suddenly blurted his feeling out:

"Have you any idea just who that person, that woman, truly is?" He suddenly spat, his fists still clenched wanting to just punch him in the face once more. "Have you any idea what kind of problem you have brought upon us?"

"Vice-Commander, please, that's enough." Kouichi said trying to calm him down. "I think _Shin_ had managed to get a grasp of the situation already."

"No." He replied sternly, the power of a Vice Commander resonating in his voice as he spoke. "He is not fully aware of the matter, just like you. He is not fully aware on what consequences this might entail for the Eastern Corps Division of the King's Knights."

"We know she's your sister, Vice Commander," Kouichi assured him. "We know how much she means to you…"

But Kouji cut him off. "She is not my sister. _Megumi_ Minamoto does not exist! She is in fact the daughter of the Eastern Commander, she is Izumi Orimoto!"

Silence. It was the silence signaling that Kouichi was surprised by the sudden revelation, and the silence which, unbeknownst to Kouji, was the silence signaling that Takuya did not want them to know that he had known for quite a while now. It was a deafening silence which lasted for minutes.

"Now, have you begun to comprehend just how much trouble having Izumi kidnapped will cost us?" Kouji asked.

"She's…his daughter?" Kouichi asked, still dumbfounded, then thought to himself, "So that is why she seemed so familiar. I've seen her before at one of the parties my grandfather attended…"

Takuya was still silent. He could not think of what to say even as he knew full well what his friend and fellow Knight Apprentice would say once they are out of Kouji's earshot. He wondered if he should tell him that he already knew of that fact or not. He thought of the consequences it would bring, of the possible slip-ups that may occur and it scared him.

He hated the fact of being unable to have even the slightest conversation with Izumi again. He had already admitted it to himself that he had fallen for the daughter of his father's rival. He knew that if time would come that the Vice Commander will realize who he is, he would certainly be eyes even suspiciously as he was already being and he would certainly not be trusted so much that it would be possible for the Kouji to just suddenly leave him behind.

He was surely in a pinch – a much more tighter pinch than what they were all currently at.

"Then if she's the Eastern Commander's daughter, who are those men and who are they working for?" Kouji suddenly asked aloud that it snapped Takuya right back from his thoughts.

Takuya listened closely to what Kouji had to say…

"I don't really know just yet, but I do have my suspicions that they must be hired by the Western Commander." He said. "What confuses me is how they found out about our plans, even with spies around the mansion, they could not possibly have learned of our whereabouts so fast to ambush us like they did."

"A typical answer." Takuya thought to himself. "But I have to admit that father is the only primary suspect at this."

"Are you saying that one of us are spies for him?" Kouichi asked quite taken aback.

Kouji looked at Takuya as if saying that he thinks he is the one, but replied. "I don't know. You could very well be spies, but that still does not answer how they could have figured out on their own who she really is."

At that Takuya spoke as he remembered what happened at the buried city.

"I remember back at the buried city that those thieves were quite certain on who they were targeting." Takuya said. "I don't know about you two, but the number of thugs who were following us were certainly large. Not only that but I remember hearing someone speak to those thugs as if leading them saying that they want her."

"Is that the truth or are you just trying to mislead us?" Kouji quickly asked.

"Please, Vice Commander," Kouichi suddenly intervened just before Takuya could answer back and possibly worsen the situation. "I can assure you in the name of my grandfather, the General of the South, that he is not what you think he is. I have known him since we began our apprenticeship."

Kouji did not speak as he continued to eye Takuya suspiciously. But soon, he decided to deal with more pressing matters, matters such as pursuing Izumi's kidnappers and rescuing her before something ill happens.

"I don't have time to deal with this now." He said. "We have to bring her back!"

"We agree with you, Vice Commander and we are willing to help you do so." Kouichi stated as Takuya nodded. "We don't want the conflicts inside the circle of the King's Knights to worsen."

At that, the trio climbed on their horses after packing all of their stuff. Kouji led the way followed by Kouichi who was holding unto the reigns of his horse and of the horse of their kidnapped companion while Takuya trailed not to far behind.

The wound on his head caused by the large armored man hitting him throbbed and was still left in its fashion – contaminated by dirt with the blood already clotted. He sighed, it was obvious that Kouji did not care much about him at the moment and who could blame him after the blunder that he had caused.

"It couldn't be helped now." He once again thought to himself as he galloped along with the others. "I bet Izumi with shout at me when he sees how I didn't took care of this wound."

Takuya, although he was not showing it, was desperate to help. He didn't want his superior, or anyone for that matter, to think that he is inferior, that he is not needed.

He was so deep in thought that he did not notice that Kouichi had slowed down his pace to match with his.

"Hey, Takuya," he whispered.

Takuya nodded to acknowledge that he heard and is listening to whatever his friend has to say.

"We're already in a pinch now." Kouichi continued. "Who would have thought that she is your father's rival's daughter? Not only that, but did you notice the armor those men were wearing?"

At the mention of the armor, Kouichi managed to fully attain the attention of Takuya.

"The armor?" Takuya asked, then said. "Now that you mention it, I have the strangest feeling that I've seen the armor before…"

The two began to think back and try to recall where they have seen such armor as they rode off, following the trails of those unknown assailants that kidnapped Izumi.

It was as if a powerful force was hindering them from remembering anything or obtaining any clues, and even against them rescuing Izumi, for no sooner had they began their pursuit, did the tracks vanished leaving the four males to ponder as to where their enemy has run off to.

"This isn't possible, is it?" Kouichi asked as he jumped down from his horse and began to walk around the area. "They couldn't have just vanished!"

"They must have some base or hideout nearby." Kouji voiced his thought. "I'm sure they are around here somewhere, all we have to do is look, and look hard!"

"Yes sir!" the two apprentices agreed saluting their superior in the process.

They then began to search the premises, each searching on different directions hoping to find any clue as to where they need to go or where they may find Izumi and those who kidnapped her. But, as the clock ticked and as hours passed, they were unable to find anything.

Frustrated, Kouji once again vented his anger on the person whom he saw was at fault – _Shin_.

"This is all your fault!" The Vice-Commander began once again, his fist was clenched as if wanting to punch Takuya right then and there. "If you had only been paying attention to your surroundings and did not doze off, then maybe Izumi would still be with us and we are still heading for our destination!"

Takuya, who was also frustrated at that point and time suddenly spat back. "Why do you keep on blaming me, when I am not the only one who's at fault. I'm not the only one who dozed off now, am I?"

Taken aback with Takuya fighting back, Kouji and Kouichi both showed surprise in their faces.

"Stop blaming me for your inability to command us properly and your inability to fight back during that skirmish, Vice-Commander!" Takuya continued on. "If you think that you're the only one who is frustrated at the sudden turn of events, then you are dead wrong!"

"Takuya…" Kouichi can't help but mutter to himself.

"Have you forgotten whom you are talking to, Apprentice?" Kouji asked, his voice demanding some respect.

"No, I haven't forgotten, Vice-Commander." Takuya replied, stressing the words 'Vice Commander'.

Sensing that this fight would erupt into a much larger scale, Kouichi decided to stop it from escalating any further.

"Quit it, you guys." Kouichi intervened. "We won't be able to do much if you guys would only think about fighting about something that we can no longer change."

At Kouichi's words, the two hot-headed knights turn to face the other direction.

As he was looking the other way, Takuya caught sight of something. Something that gave him an idea on where their enemy might be.

"Hey, Kouichi," Takuya said, his eyes focused on the horse's footprints on the hard ground covered by sand. "Do you remember the lecture we heard about the Riders of Burgeloth?"

"Riders of Burgeloth?" Kouichi repeated as he tried to remember that particular lecture that has suddenly caught the attention of his friend. "That was the lecture about the strategy of the Burgeloth Knights, the strategy they used to confuse their foes in thinking that they suddenly…wait a minute!"

A realization suddenly occurred in him, as Takuya nodded.

"What is it?" Kouji asked.

"Vice-Commander, I think _Shin_ may have just broke through the illusion created by our enemies." Kouichi suddenly said, then, as if to answer the look of inquest in his superior's face began to explain as Takuya/Shin began to walk back the way they came. "The Riders of Burgeloth, they were the ones who, I believe, first thought this illusion up."

"Illusion? What illusion?"

"The illusion of their tracks suddenly disappearing." Kouichi replied. "They did it with a simple trick – by stepping on the same tracks that they have left while moving backwards. It's hard to pull of with a horse, but it is possible."

"I see…" was the only reply of the Vice-Commander.

Just then, Takuya called out to them as he made his way towards his companions.

"Did you find anything, _Shin_?" Kouichi asked.

Takuya nodded. "The tracks were faint a couple of ways back, but it is there. I think they may have done what the Riders of Burgeloth did then hurriedly erased their tracks, but they sure did some sloppy work on it."

"Great!" Kouichi said, then faced Kouji. "Vice Commander, we're ready to depart now. I bet those armored men would be quite surprise when we catch up to them."

Kouji nodded and ordered them to move out.

To be continued…

A/N: Well, that was quite longer than I initially planed it to be, although I did plan to write the whole rescue-Izumi-thing only on a single chapter…but I guess it would not do, so I changed it instead to a two to three chapter thing. Anyways, I hope I did good on this chapter. I can't help but notice the decline in the number of reviews per chapter, though…sigh…Well, I guess most of the readers are busy…

Putting that aside, the next chapter could be as long as this one and may be updated sometime soon (maybe this Sunday or Saturday). I have been doing a lot of things lately, including making a boards which I hope you would all join in, it is not a forum here in FFN, though. If you guys are interested, just check my profile out to find out where this forum/board is.

Well, with that said, it's time for me to log out, so until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! _Ja ne!_


	11. In The Cold, Iron Box

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)**

A/N:

Well, it took longer for me to upload this since I was pretty much busy what with the new semester of classes coming up, plus the fact that I have been having headache-attacks quite frequently for the past few days. So I would like to extend my apologies to everybody who have been reading and awaiting the update of this fanfic.

Anyhow, I do not wish to make you guys wait much longer, so here is the next installment for the Rabbit on the Moon. Enjoy!

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**In the Cold, Iron Box**

Her head was spinning, and she felt very groggy forcing her eyes to adjust to the dimness of wherever it was she was currently at.

She remembered full well what had happened.

"_That stupid Takuya._" She thought to herself, as her sight began to return to normal, little by little. "_I bet he set his mind of wandering around again when he should have been focused on protecting me._"

She wanted to put the blame on someone, and who better to put the blame on but on Takuya. She wanted to blame him for the fact that she was weak – unable to stand up for herself and depending on others too much. She wanted to change the feeling of being a burden to others into a feeling of annoyance at someone other than herself.

"_He could have noticed someone creeping from behind._" She continued to speak to herself.

It came as a surprise to her when someone suddenly spoke back to her.

"Well, you could have noticed that too." Came the voice.

Izumi looked around in search of the owner of the said voice. As she did so, she noticed just where she was, as she sees it, being locked up.

The place wasn't anything special. It was just a dark, damp, square-shaped room with a large, solid, iron door on one side and another small window on the other. On the corner, she saw who it was that spoke to her.

He had a short, messy, light-brown colored hair and the same color of eyes. He wore a cape, underneath, she could see him wearing some sort of worn-out armor with many scratch marks on it and a pair of boots to match his outfit. Just by looking at said outfit, Izumi guessed that he was some-sort of warrior.

"I'm glad that you've already regained consciousness," the boy continued. "I was worried when they suddenly threw you in here. I would have checked to see if you are alright, if it weren't for these shackles."

At the mention of the said item, Izumi saw that the young boy was being bound by iron chains around his ankles. Her eyes widened, as she could not believe what she saw and wondered that who could possibly do this to someone so young.

She was about to go over to him when she felt that she too was being bound by the same iron chains on her own ankle.

"I couldn't begin to imagine why _they_ would bring a girl into this place." The boy went on. "I can't help but wonder what you could have done to aggravate those people."

"I could say the same to you…uh…"

"Tomoki." The boy said introducing himself. "My name's Tomoki Himi, and you are?"

Izumi thought for a minute before giving her fake name. She couldn't afford anyone else knowing. "Megumi. Megumi Minamoto."

"Minamoto?" Tomoki asked. "That sound's familiar."

Silence.

"So, do you know where we are?" Izumi asked a couple of minutes later.

Tomoki nodded and replied. "I don't know what they call this place, but it's the dungeon being run by people under the banner of the Western Commander."

At the sudden mention of Takuya's father, Izumi could not help but feel surprised. And she did not bother to hide it.

"What's wrong, Miss Megumi?" Tomoki asked.

"The Western Commander, Kanbara?" she asked although she knew what the answer would be.

"Yes." Came the reply. "Tell me, Miss Megumi, why did they lock you up in here?"

"Why don't you tell me yours first before I tell you mine." She said. "I can't suddenly talk about myself without knowing anything about who I am talking about first. Besides, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but what you may have done may be something worst."

Tomoki looked at her for a couple of seconds before laughing. When his laughter died down, he began to tell her who he is. Izumi could see in his voice that he had been locked up for a while now with no other company but himself, it was so obvious that he was excited about having someone to converse with.

"Like I've said before, Miss Megumi, my name is Tomoki Himi. I am from Frost Village, a small, icy, village found on the far northern reaches from Frontiria." He began. "Our village, if I may say so, is quite hidden from the rest of the world up until recently, when these so-called Knights of Fronteria under the banner of the Western Corps suddenly showed up saying that Frost Village would, from that moment on, be under their jurisdiction."

"Are you saying that the King's Knights are taking over villages?" Izumi asked, shocked of what she had just heard.

"Not all the knights, from what our resistance learned, only the Western Corps are taking up control of small villages, and they are doing so under the orders of the King himself." Tomoki replied. "It's like they are searching for something."

"So, how did you end up here?" Izumi asked.

"Well, I was one of the people who got caught after fighting off the Knights." Tomoki replied. "When we were all captured, you could not believe how crowded this place was. But then along came that order from the higher-ups saying all rebels must die as traitors."

"Are you saying they killed of your companions?"

Tomoki nodded. "I was about to be executed too, but I guess my 'lucky charm' saved me from that fate."

"Lucky Charm?" Izumi asked trying to hide the fact that she did not believe in such things. "What are you talking about?"

At the question and with a grin plastered on his dirty face, Tomoki showed her a symbol etched on his right forearm. As he showed it to her, the said symbol began to glow in a light-green color.

"That's…" she gasped.

"I don't know what this is for, but when that Commander saw it, he suddenly changed his mind executing me and instead returned me here and bound me to the wall."

"Tell me," Izumi suddenly said as he remembered the mark on Takuya's back. "can you use some sort of magic or something?"

"Magic?" Tomoki asked, wide eyed. "How did you know about that, no one knows about me being able to do something."

"Well, I know of a couple of people who have the same kind of symbol on their body as you do." She replied as she remembered Takuya, and of course, the same symbol in her body. "One of them can cast flame, you see, so, I wondered if you can do the same."

Tomoki seem to have nothing to say for quite a while, his eyes were gazing out to the opposite direction where the cold, iron doors were. He was thinking, and Izumi waited patiently, her curiosity as to what those symbols were getting the better of her. After all, she has a symbol on her body as well, so, in a way, she has every right to know about them.

She thought that if Tomoki was not going to open up to her about it, then, she could press Takuya for an answer later on…that is, if she could find a way to escape from there.

She was suddenly pulled back from her thoughts when a sudden chill filled the room and Tomoki spoke.

"Well, my 'power', if you would mind me saying, is the complete opposite from that friend of yours." He stated. "If that person can heat things up, I can cool them down."

Izumi stared in awe at Tomoki whose hands were suddenly enveloped by a light blue aura that seem to glisten as if there were some snow twirling around them.

"At the moment, making this place cold is what I can do thanks to these chains which seem to drain me of my ability to take my powers up a notch." He continued to explain. "If it weren't for these stupid things I would have freed us both by now."

"Well, that explains it." Izumi said, her heart sinking for she hoped that they could get themselves out with his ability.

"So, you still haven't answered my question as to what a lady such as yourself would be doing here."

"I guess I can say that it's probably because these guys want something from a family member." Izumi replied, giving as little information as she could. "I wish I could tell you more, but, I can't for a number of reasons."

"Well, it's alright, I guess." Came the younger one's reply. "I just hope that people would rescue you as soon as they can, the knights here are pretty rough…especially on women."

Izumi could not help but feel fear in her heart. She knew that the others were probably searching for her, worried sick about her well-being. She could not help but wonder if Kouji gave Takuya the lecture of a lifetime with not paying much attention to the mission at hand or something like that – in the back of her mind she hoped that he did thinking that Takuya needs to be thought a lesson, but somehow her heart does not agree and instead is arguing that it wasn't his fault at all.

She mentally shook her head. Why was she feeling this way to somebody other than the boy in her dreams? She didn't like it one bit.

Tomoki watched her silently. His senses telling him that the person with him in that cell was not telling him the whole truth behind the story, but despite it, he could not help but sympathize with her.

"_She has her reasons, though…I guess._" He thought to himself.

He began to search his memory as to why the surname "Minamoto" sounds vaguely familiar, like he has heard of it somewhere before or have met whoever owned this surname before.

Hours flew by and silence filled the boxed caged where the two 'children' were being kept, locked and chained. Over the hours, Izumi could not help but wonder why she too was chained the same fashion as Tomoki. She saw the relevance of it when it comes to the young boy, but to her…she did not.

She could do nothing even if there were no shackles that bound her feet, the best she could do was make as much noise as she can, pounding on that cursed door hoping for someone to hear them and set them free – a hope that seems so farfetched knowing that dungeons like these were most likely placed around a wide, desolate area.

She was not a threat to these people who have kidnapped her, she was just, after all, a normal person.

A clank suddenly came from the iron door as it screeched open revealing three people who soon entered the cell but did not bother to close it afterwards.

Two of them wore the same outfit as those people who attacked Izumi and her companions down at the oasis, and these two halted in front of the door, standing side by side as if guarding the cell doors – it was protocol, despite the fact that there really was no way either she or Tomoki could possibly go past that point.

The third person however, wore a different kind of armor. It was blue in color with golden edges. He did not wear any helmet unlike his men, but instead wore a metal mask hiding his face from all, his eyes were the only ones visible as he wore it on his face.

The masked man looked around the cell, his eyes scanning every direction before resting unto Tomoki.

"I see you still haven't given up on using that strange power of yours boy." Came a gruff voice from underneath the mask.

Tomoki stared back into the cold eyes of this mysterious person, his eyes filled with anger. "What's it to you. If I didn't know any better I'd say you're pretty jealous that you didn't end up with some kind of power yourself."

"Why would I be jealous? I have everything I could possibly want, including freedom. Not only that, but I am not without power, as you may already have witnessed back at your hometown."

"By power you mean having those dogs of yours follow every order you give and by freedom, do you mean having to be a dog yourself, following orders?" Tomoki retorted.

His words earned him a powerful punch on the ribs that sent him curling on the floor.

"What do you think you're doing!" Izumi shouted. "Is preying on those who can't fight back what you people are only good at?"

The masked man whirled around to face Izumi. His eyes never averting from her gaze as she stared right back at him with all resentment a person could possibly emit.

It seemed like the staring contest was to last forever when a sudden explosion shook the whole fort up.

"What the hell was that?" Exclaimed one of the knights guarding the door.

Just then, another knight came running up towards the masked man. This knight whispered something to his ear that made him turn around and leave.

But before he did so, he looked back at Izumi and told Tomoki that they would continue the discussion later.

Not long after that, Izumi and Tomoki could both hear shouting and fighting from the distant as well as a couple more explosions. Both of them could not help but wonder what was going on.

Soon after, the explosion sounded as if it was coming closer and closer. The two of them wondered if it would hit the cell that they were being kept upon as they hoped and prayed that it won't.

"Could this get any worse?" Izumi wondered.

Suddenly, Tomoki spoke.

"I guess if we were to escape now would be the appropriate time."

"Escape?" Izumi asked. "How would we do that when we are still chained here."

"Well, I could just freeze the chains off of us." Tomoki said, which only surprised and confused the young woman even more.

"What are you talking about? You said that with those on you can't use the full potential of your power."

"Well, I may have lied about that just a little bit." Tomoki said. "I had the feeling that they were listening in to our conversation, so I had to make it so that it would seem that we are incapable of escaping. Besides, to escape I don't necessarily need to have to use all of my power, just a fraction would do."

"I still don't understand any of this." Izumi stated, then added. "Well, whatever, just do your stuff and get us out of here."

"Roger that." Came the reply.

Soon, a cold wind began to blow freezing off everything that was metallic in substance, including the chains that bound both Izumi and Tomoki. Within seconds, the chains covered with ice began to crack and soon after was destroyed setting both the Warrior and the Lady free.

"Now, all we have to do is get away from here." Tomoki said.

"Right." Agreed Izumi.

And with that, they began to head towards the direction of the chaos as they both concluded that it would be easier to escape through the commotion rather than away from it.

_**To be continued…**_

A/N:

It was quite longer than I have originally set out to do, but I'd have to say that it turned out pretty well. I have to tell you guys that with my classes starting tomorrow, I would probably only be able to update the story once every week. I would, however, try to update as frequent as I could, if I could, I have a lot of courses to attend to this semester compared to a couple of semesters back.

Anyway, enough about that. I would like to know what you guys think about this chapter. I've began to feel discourage about continuing this fanfic with the small amount of reviews coming in, a single new review would help a lot in me continuing this fanfic, that way, I would know that there are still people who are actually reading this one. So, I really hope to hear from you all, so please review.

Well, that's all I can say for now. Until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Ja ne!


	12. The Rescue and the Parchment

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)**

[A/N: Well, first off, I would really like to extend my warm thank you to all the people who reviewed on the previous chapter, those who continue to read this fanfic and for all those who really like it – I appreciate your support very much. Second, I would like to apologize for the great amount of delay in updating my fanfics, as I have said countless of times in the past, I am really quite busy at the moment with only a few moments to spare for writing, and I have chosen to use that time in continuing this fanfic and hopefully finish it soon.

Anyway, without further delays (as I have already delayed this chapter far too long) here is the next installment of the Rabbit on the Moon

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Rescue and the Parchment**

Their footsteps echoed through the hallway as they ran as fast as they could, with the sound of powerful explosions not far behind. Their weapons were unsheathed, ready to strike any resistance from the opposing force. Their minds were focused on only one thing. This, for them, was what they call "payback".

"We should have just sneaked in instead of creating all this unnecessary trouble." Kouji said amidst the booms and bangs.

"Well, you did agree to what _Shin_ wanted to do." Kouichi said with a grin on his face. "Besides, this way, it is much easier to search for our captured princess."

Kouji did not like the idea to begin with, yet, he did not understand as to why he had agreed to go on with it.

--------------------------------------

Flashback

---------------------------------------

_"Well, would you look at that…" Kouichi whistled. "Who would have thought that you would figure out where those guys went…"_

_"Tell me about it." Shin replied. "I guess it pays to listen to lectures sometimes."_

_Kouichi could not help but laugh at that. It was a first coming from someone who rarely uses his head as Takuya does, to say something like that._

_They were all hiding behind a large boulder a couple of meters away from where three knights were guarding the front entrance to what seems to be a fortress built in stone. It took a couple of minutes for Kouji to realize what that place was._

_"This is bad…" he muttered causing the two others with him to look at him with a confused expression._

_"What's wrong, Vice-Commander?" Shin asked._

_"We should hurry up on rescuing Lady Izumi." He stated bluntly. "This place, this is the 'Ygdrassil', the Western Corp's fortress based in the Ryu Region."_

_Takuya's eyes widened. The Ygdrassil. He has heard stories about the place, rumors that his father was conducting research on something at the said fortress. He has heard of its unbreakable defense. Thinking back, it all makes sense. Those armored men that kidnapped Izumi, the reason why their armor looked familiar was because he had been inside the fortress and saw those who were guarding it, once, when he was still a child._

_For the first time since the beginning of their mission, Takuya felt his insides tighten. He did not know what to do. He knew that when they attack the fortress and if he was, by any chance, captured, he knew what the consequences would be facing his father._

_He wasn't sure if any of his father's men would recognize his face. But what they were planning to do was a gamble, a gamble in which his future was at stake._

_"Shin…" Kouichi muttered seeing the worried look in his friend's eyes._

_"I'm alright." Shin muttered._

_"Now, how do we infiltrate this place?" Kouji wondered out loud. "It's no question that Ygdrassil's security would surely be tight and that they would far outnumber us. Not only that, but we don't have any idea as to where they are keeping Lady Izumi locked up."_

_"That's right." Kouichi agreed. "Not only that, Vice-Commander, but we have no idea as to the layout of this place."_

_As Kouichi and Kouji were talking, Takuya began to recall how the inside of the fortress looks like. He could vaguely remember, he was still, after all, a little boy back then when he had just begun his training._

_"It may be a maze inside." Kouji said._

_"A maze?" Shin queried._

_Kouji nodded._

_Then suddenly, Takuya was hit with an idea._

_"I think I may just have a solution to our little problem with the layout of the Ygdrassil." He stated causing his two other companions to stare at him. One looked at him with a baffled expression while the other eyed him with caution._

_"What is it, Shin?" Kouji asked._

_"Well, since we don't know the twists and turns of the place, why don't we just make out own pathway?" Takuya asked._

_"What are you talking about?" Kouji asked. "Are you out of your mind? That would probably take weeks – no, even years to accomplish."_

_"Shin, are you feeling alright?" Kouichi asked. "I thought you were serious with this idea of yours, turns out you're just pulling our leg."_

_"I'm dead serious." Shin retorted._

_"And just how are we going to pull that off quickly and without delay?"_

_At the question, Takuya snapped his fingers causing fire to erupt from them. The fire was only just a fraction of what he had shown Izumi when they had been separated from Kouichi and Kouji, but it was enough to surprise the two._

_"This, my friends, is the answer." He stated. "And by 'this', I mean my ability to create fire – and in turn, create explosions and bombardments."_

_"How did you…?" Kouji was about to ask when Kouichi cut him off._

_"Just when the hell did you learn how to do that, Shin?" he asked._

_"Can't really remember and it doesn't matter." Takuya replied. "So, what do you guys say? Are you in or out?"_

_Kouji and Kouichi both looked at each other for a couple of minutes, as if searching for what the other was thinking before they finally agreed to what Takuya/Shin had in mind._

_---------------------------------_

End of Flashback

----------------------------

As they ran, Kouji questioned his companion about something.

"Tell me, Kouichi, do you have any idea just why _Shin_ was able to do what he did with this place?"

------------------------

Flashback

------------------------

_Shin stood up and moved back a couple of ways from the boulder, after which, he closed his eyes, drew a deep breath and began to concentrate not just on calling forth a powerful blast that will give them the path he needed but also on trying his best to remember the layout of the fortress._

_Little by little, he began to remember. He visualized it in his head. The large metallic corridors that went behind the three knights guarding the entrance; the several doors leading to different rooms that were of no importance to their current mission and several barred mythril doors that separated one part of the fortress to one another._

_He tried his best to remember, remember a possible place where a captive could be kept. It took almost as long as focusing his energy on his fists for him to realize where that place was. As he opened his eyes, he was certain, and he through his fist in front of him, and from it erupted a powerful ray of flames that were aimed on the left-hand side of the fortress, towards where Takuya remembered his father telling him that the stairs to the most secured prison cell could be found._

_As he singed the walls and made themselves a pathway, Takuya shouted to his two companions to make ready themselves and run for it. _

_----------------------------------_

End of Flashback

----------------------------

"No, I don't know, Sir, this is actually the first time I saw him do this." Kouichi replied.

It was the truth, and he sure was surprised that Takuya kept something like this from him.

Meanwhile, on another part of the fortress, Takuya was running by himself, making sure to get the attention of all the guards. It was a great risk for him, and he felt bad about frying and slaying his father's men, but it was something that needed to be done – it was a mission, and his mission takes priority over all else. Despite this, he hoped and prayed that not a soul would realize who he is.

He wasn't sure himself why he had volunteered to take the job of luring their enemy away from the rescue party which was only composed of two people, all he knew was that there was an inkling feeling, a feeling that seemed to voice out to him to head towards the direction which he was now taking. It was hard to describe – this feeling, for he too was unsure of what it meant.

Takuya let out another fire ball which hurled itself towards a group of dark armored knights creating another explosion that blasted them to pieces. It was only a moment later that Takuya realized where he was at.

He remembered the place vaguely. He remembered being scolded by his father from stepping foot on the room. He remembered how mad his father was, of how angry he looked at him as he shouted at him.

The room was different now than before. The large cylinder in the middle of the room, which used to held something which Takuya could not remember but was of some importance, now only held little evidence that something was kept there. The large shelves that he remembered were neatly arranged then looked like it was ransacked. There were numerous parchments on the large table in front of the cylinder and books that were disheveled. Takuya thought that the Scientists that were at work there quickly packed up and took everything important for fear that they were being raided by the King's men – this was only plausible though, Takuya thought, if what they were doing were illegal. It was something he feared his father was doing.

After making sure that there were no knights waiting to ambush him, Takuya hurriedly made his way in search of something. He does not know what that something is. Maybe some sort of hint of what they were doing; maybe he was searching for something that would clear things as to why his father would send those people to capture Izumi; he wasn't sure what it was, but he was searching, following a voice that seemed to be instructing him in his head.

He was about to give up when he suddenly stumbled into a parchment that was partly burned, partly crumpled. He picked it up and took a long hard look on the words written on it, he read:

_Lord Kanbara,_

_We have finished our research concerning that 'thing' that y__ou have brought to our care twelve years ago. I would like to report __that the experiment went smoothly and that we have also stumbled __upon something that would truly catch your interest. __It seems that the 'thing' is somewhat related to the prized artifac __that you are currently searching for, and based from our research, __the power that you desire could be attained if you acquire the __ten powers said to be governing our world. These powers are hard to __find, however, for they have fused themselves with the human kin –__choosing for themselves whom their master would be. These 'Masters __of the Ten Elements' will, as we have learned, have an ancient marking __somewhere on their body._

_I am sure that you know where this is heading, Lord Kanbara, for this __is where our problems ultimately lie – in collecting the ten humans __who were chosen by these powers of unknown kind. __Apart from your son, Lord Takuya, and the boy from the snow village we __recently attacked, we have no other clue as to who the other chosen ones __are. However, a sudden turn of events have led us to believe that your __rival's daughter may be one of them. We have already taken her into __custody and would soon begin our experiments with her and the other __boy. I would therefore ask your permission to send your son over to us __for that same purpose as well. I hope that you would give us a positive __reply, my lord._

_Your faithful servant,_

_"Kaos"_

Takuya's eyes widened with every line he read.

"So the rumors were true," he thought to himself, "my father is really up to something, what's more, both Izumi and I may very well be part of whatever it is he is scheming…"

He shook himself, he know that now is not the time to think further of this matter as he made a mental note to talk to Izumi about this and also to learn more about who this other person, this "boy" the letter was referring to is.

As Takuya was making his way back, he suddenly encountered knights running towards the direction of where the Vice-Commander and Kouichi went. As he hid from their view, he heard what they were talking about.

"Hurry, the others have already surrounded the intruders and the two escapees."

Takuya was once again surprised, he though how fast it was for the others to be caught so easily even when he was making such a ruckus on the other side of the fortress. Then he realized that there must really be hundreds or even thousands of knights that were currently stationed, which would make sense since some "important" experiment was held there.

Shaking unneeded thoughts from his head, Takuya emerged from his hiding spot, dealt with the knights that were making their way to where his other companions were said to be surrounded as he began to make his way there as well.

Meanwhile…

"Well, this is some rescue…" Izumi said sarcastically, then faced Tomoki and said, "Can't you do something about our current situation?"

"What would you suggest, Lady Megumi?" Tomoki asked.

"I don't know…freeze those guys or something?" Izumi replied.

"I would really love to do that to pay them back, however, I currently have little stamina left to be able to do something like that." Tomoki explained.

This caught the attention of their two other companions who both asked in unison: "You can also use some sort of magic?"

"You can say that." He replied.

"I can't believe it, first it was _Shin_ and now it's this kid." Kouji said.

"Speaking of _Shin_ where has that idiot?" Izumi asked, her voice still holds a grudge on him for allowing him to let her be captured in the first place.

"He's making sure that no other knights would come here and make things more troublesome." Kouichi replied.

"I think we may have made a mistake about letting him do that." Kouji muttered. "He would have been more useful if he were here since he could easily fry this guys."

As if on cue, an explosion suddenly erupted from a nearby wall, and there stood the person in question, Shin/Takuya.

Seeing that it was there chance to escape, the group did not wait to hear a word from him, but rather, immediately darted towards their escape. When he had made sure that they all made it out, Takuya created another fireball to seal the path that he, himself has made.

After he did so, he followed the others as they made a run for it with the parchment still on his left hand.

**To be continued….**

[A/N: I hope you guys didn't find this chapter a bit boring or such, and I hope that you enjoyed it. This is the best I can do for the moment, so you have to bear with me. I will however, maybe rewrite it when all those hectic things in my schedule disappears.

Exams are coming up in two weeks, so you can expect that I would be able to upload a new chapter either this week, or the next after my exams.

Also, I would like to take this opportunity to send out my thank you's and replies to some of the reviews that you have sent me for this fanfic.

So here it goes:

**TwinkieTUTUS**:

Well, I have to say that Tommy/Tomoki really needs to be in this chapter since he is also a favorite of mine, and like you, I also wish that the Frontier season had been much longer than just having 50 episodes (or 51). And as you wish, I updated, lol….Thank you for the review!

**Megmo8214:**

Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you liked the previous chapter and I also hope that you will think that this chapter is great.

**milkshakelvr:**

Thanks for the compliment and the review as well. As for your query on whether JP/Junpei will appear, I would have to say that he already did (on the first part of this fanfic, read chapter 1 if you forgot), lol. But if the question is whether he will soon be part of the group, well, read and find out. As for your other query, I think this chapter answers that one, lol.

**CrazyAngel313:**

Thank you for the compliment and the review. Don't worry, I will try to update as soon as I can and as frequently as I could.

**asdf:**

I will keep going! Lol, I'm glad that you love this fanfic and thank you for the review.

**mysticalruby:**

Thanks for thinking that the previous chapter is amazing, I hope that you find this chapter amazing as well. I think this chapter pretty much gives you a vague idea on the answer to your question. Anyway, thanks for the review!

**kawaii-firestar:**

Thanks for the compliment and I am quite sorry for those grammar mistakes that I have made here and there. I am also glad that you guys understand the situation I am currently in, anyway, thanks again, and like I've said, I'll try to update as soon and frequently as I could.

**isabelann4114:**

I'm glad that you love this fanfic. . And I am also glad that you love all of my stories as you say and that you find me as a favorite author. You don't have to worry about me stopping writing here in FFN since, I won't be quitting any time soon….definitely! And as I've told the others I will try to update as frequently and as soon as I can, what with all the school work and other projects on me.

Well, that's that for now. Thanks for the reviews once again, I hope you guys will review on this chapter as well. With that said, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Later everyone!


	13. History's Untold Story

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)**

A/N: Well, what do you know, I managed to squeeze time from my hectic schedule to finish another chapter of this fanfic, I am really pulling out all the stops in order to finish this as soon as possible so that I can continue on working with all my other fics that still need to be completed. Anyway, thanks for those who reviewed the previous chapter and those who read this fanfic. I hope that you guys will like this new installment! Enjoy! 

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**History's Untold Story**

Days have passed since Takuya and his company managed to rescue Izumi and another child by the name of Tomoki and days have passed since they have made a mess at Ygdrassil, one of Takuya's Father's Fortresses as well as since Takuya read the parchment giving him a vague idea as to what his father was up to.

Two days ago…

"Commander," said a knight as he knocked on the oaken doors of the Western Commander's office. "Please pardon my intrusion, but there is an urgent news from the Ygdrassil."

"Urgent news?" the Western Commander asked as he placed the book he was reading down on his desk and looked with a penetrating gaze and an intently listening ear at the knight that was before him. "Well then, Karim, speak up. What is this urgent news?"

"You may not like this sir, but a word was sent over from Ygdrassil that we havecaptured the daughter of the Eastern Commander, Orimoto."

"What's not to like about that news?" he asked.

"Well, that is part of the good news, sir. We have just received a telegram from Kaos and he said that he already has three of the ten humans identified to have the symbol of the Ten Ancient Powers. The third person apparently was the Eastern Commander's daughter. The bad news sir, is that Ygdrassil was attacked, apparently by the bodyguards that the said commander hired for protecting his daughter, and she escaped along with the other boy, Tomoki of the Ice."

At the news, the Commander rose to his feet, anger and annoyance was evident in the features of his face. The knight, Karim, knew what was coming…

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" The Commander's voice boomed in anger. "How could a bunch of bodyguards storm Ygdrassil, one of the kingdom's most secured fortress?"

"Well, the report was pretty vague considering the fact that the scientists and those who survived were pretty much in a panic when they contacted us, but apparently, sir, the enemy had with them exploding devices of some sort that set fire to the Ygdrassil, tumbled down several walls and barricades as well as collapse some part of the fortress." Karim explained, his eyes reading the piece of paper which contained the reports of the casualties at the Ygdrassil.

Commander Kanbara sat after hearing the report, "Explosives, you say?"

Karim looked at his superior then replied, "Well, they say that it might be some type of explosive, although it has to be a very powerful one since it can spew flames, which, by the way sir, killed a lot of our men down there."

The Western Commander was silent after hearing those words, his eyes showed signs of his mind wandering somewhere as he thought of something. It took a couple ore minutes before he finally spoke.

"I believe, Karim," he said, "that someone had just complicated our current situation, and by someone I do not mean Orimoto…"

Takuya sighed, he had exhausted himself for the past few days as they made their way towards destination, Guara. It was not only his body which was exhausted for having used so much of his so-called "Flame Power", nor was it because of the fact that they were traversing the wilderness on foot with as much haste as they could muster, but because of the fact that he had been thinking a lot about the parchment and its contents.

He had not yet spoke a word about it to anyone of his three companions, yet, Izumi and Kouichi had already began to suspect that he was hiding something from them.

At the moment, the stars filled the vast, black, night sky over their campsite situated somewhere near the banks of Abrah. The fire was burning to bring forth a warm air over their tents and also to bring light to the darkness that which surrounds them.

A grasshopper's sound could be heard over the rush of the river mixed with the hooting of owls and the night birds that were perched on the trees that hid the campsite from view.

Takuya sat himself down at the river bank, despite how many times he tried not to think of the parchment and its contents, he could not stop himself from doing so. Occasionally, he would throw a stone into the water, hoping that it would make him think of other things, but it did not, rather, it made him look like he was really depressed about something.

"I can't keep this up forever," he thought to himself. "there's just so many mysteries, so many lies, so many secrets that are revolving around this mission…It's too much."

A sigh escaped him once again, his eyes lingering on the ripples that the stone he just threw made. He wanted to tell Izumi, however, he was just unsure of what to say, after all, he had not been around women for who-knows-how-long since he had entered the academy. He didn't know how she would react, nor how anyone could possibly react after hearing a fragment of what his father was up to.

After about what seemed like hours, Takuya took the parchment from his pocket and reread it, much like what he had been doing for the past few nights when the others were asleep or were too busy to notice him doing something.

But this night, was not to be like all the other nights where no one noticed what he was doing, for just before he could replace the parchment back to his pocket, someone spoke from beside him.

It was Tomoki.

"You know, big bro, you should really try not to be spaced out so much. A lot of people are worrying about you, you know."

The sudden sound of someone speaking at him caused Takuya to shot up from where he was sitting, quickly hide the parchment unto his pocket and look at Tomoki with eyes that said _Don't sneak up on me!_

"I see," Tomoki suddenly added. "So that thing you just hid, that's what causing you to act like this and make Lady Izumi worry, is it?"

"What are you talking about?" Takuya asked.

"Geez, you don't have to hide it,_ Sir_ Takuya Kanbara, Lady Izumi, or should I say Lady Megumi, had already told me everything that happened to your group so far."

"What?" Takuya exclaimed that almost scared all the nocturnal creatures away.

"Don't shout that loud or the others might here us." Tomoki said as he placed a finger over his lips to signal Takuya to keep quiet. "Of course, she didn't mention anything to Kouichi and Kouji, so you don't have to worry about anything particularly your cover being blown and the possibility that the Vice Commander might kill you."

"Why did she tell you?" He asked in a hushed voice where Tomoki caught a hint of frustration. "I thought she swore never to let that slip as long as I keep my mouth shut about her."

"Well, if you think about it, big bro, you don't have to worry about her cover being blown since, as I have heard, it already has been." Tomoki pointed out.

Takuya was silent for a while, which gave the young boy the impression that he had gotten him to listen.

"So, what are you saying then?" he asked.

"Tell her whatever it is that's bothering you. Or at least, try to act like you are okay." Tomoki replied.

Takuya sighed, he noticed that he was sighing a lot lately. Then, he said, "I guess that can't be helped…but before that, there is something I would like you to take a look at."

Takuya did not know why, but he felt that he could really trust Tomoki on what he knows for he believed that at that particular moment, he could not tell anyone about what he have learned – not yet, at least, not until he knows a lot more than he does now.

Takuya pulled the parchment out of his pocket once again, gave it to Tomoki and asked him to read what was written on it. Minutes passed before Tomoki finished reading the parchment with Takuya waiting patiently for any signs on his face – any reaction that he may know something more of the matter.

"So, that was the reason behind the multiple tests – those fights that they put me into. The reason was to clarify that I am one of the people they are looking for." Tomoki said after he finished.

"So you didn't have any clue to this as well? You have no idea what they are talking about or anything?" Takuya queried.

"I don't know about everything, but, I think I might have heard a legend about these ten powers that they are talking about."

"A legend?"

Tomoki nodded as he began to think back to what he have read when he was still at his village hometown:

__

"I've read that a long time ago, when the Kingdom of Frontiria was not yet established, there were ten powerful tribes that ruled the land. These tribes were said to posses different qualities – abilities that set them apart from the others. 

__

These tribes were said to have been ruled by ten beings, each gifted with power beyond imagination. The tribes were called as follows: the flame tribe capable of wielding the power of fire, the gale tribe capable of controlling the power of wind, the water tribe able to control the power of water, the terra tribe able to control the power of earth, the blitz tribe capable of controlling the power of thunder, the forest tribe who has the power to control wood, the golden tribe capable of controlling the power embedded within metallic objects, the snow tribe capable of calling forth the power of ice, and the other two are the most powerful of all the tribes.

__

These two others are the shadow tribe whose powers revolve around controlling darkness and the holy tribe who is the complete opposite of the shadow tribe for they control the powers of light and of all that is good.

__

The light and darkness – the shadow and the holy tribes had a war which had not been recorded in the annals of history, for it was a war filled with grief, sorrow, sadness, and of death. It was a war that divided the tribes and made them fight against each other. Each tribe taking sides, choosing to follow the path of the shadows or of the holy path, the book which stated these events told of how gruesome it was and of how it was impossible at that time to stop the chaos.

__

However, as if the prayers of those innocent who suffered in that war was heard, the gods were said to bestow a gift to a select group of people – ten to be exact, to stop the chaos and unite the divided land and to battle the ten others who hold powers same as they do. One of from each tribe was said to have been chosen, even one from the tribes that caused the chaos. 

__

From the flame tribe, the gods gave the power to conjure powerful flames that could destroy or save lives – that could ravage or build a future for the world that has lost its own. They gave this to a young woman.

__

From the gale tribe, the gods gave the power to control the wind and soar to the sky, to soar with the wings made of white feathers, feathers of hope. This was also given to a young woman.

__

From the water tribe, the gods gave the power to cause great waves that could stir up the torrents of change. This they gave to an old man whose knowledge was in his experience and his years.

__

The Terra tribe had also a Chosen One whom the gods bestowed the power to call control the earth; to cause powerful quakes that shook the world in his time.

__

One from the Blitz tribe was also chosen and given by the gods the power to set forth a current of electricity which aided to the birth of the new world order. This was given to a woman.

__

The Forest tribe, in this tribe a girl was chosen and was given the power to bring the woods into life and control them – make them flourish or erase them from the world.

__

From the Golden tribe, another woman was chosen with whom the gods gave the knowledge to craft strong armors and weaponries and of course, the power of alchemy.

__

From the Snow tribe they bestowed a man the power to use icicles as weapons and the power to control ice any way he wishes.

__

From the Shadow and Holy tribes, they bestowed the power to set free the hearts and minds of people, to summon a power that balances the others. And these they gave to a girl and a boy from both tribes respectively.

__

Books never spoke of it, but the battle between the new chosen ones and those of the old were, in a word, breath-taking. An even matched which no one knew how it ended as it did. But stories suggest that the new chosen ones united their powers and opened a sealed door that called forth the ultimate power – the power of the gods themselves, to put an end to all the evil.

_  
At the end of that story, an inscription could be read that says: "Whoever controls the "key" controls the door and the power within it."_

"Whoever controls the "key" controls the door and the power within it." Takuya repeated, then added, "Somehow I feel like my father may very well be after that power."

"Who knows if it the door itself exists, one thing I am certain of is that you and I, as well as Izumi, are part of whatever it is your father is up to." Tomoki replied.

"You really believe that she has a power that is similar to ours?" Takuya asked. "It could only be that the person who wrote that letter guessed something like that so we can't be too sure."

Tomoki thought for a moment, the older boy had a point but still they could not be too careful. He had heard stories that soon followed that legend and it told of an impending danger if the key were forced to open the door. He somehow felt certain that the key that the inscription tells of where the ones who had inherited the powers of old which included him, Takuya and possibly Izumi.

"Either way, big bro, we have to be careful." Tomoki concluded himself, "Like they say, it's better to be safe than sorry. For now, I suggest we both tell Izumi of what you have learned, this may very well bring an end to the mission that your troupe had set out to do."

****

To be Continued…

A/N: Whew, that was quite a long chapter to write, I think I might have outdid myself this time since this is the first time I manage to finish a chapter in just two hours…lol, so please forgive me if there are any grammar or typos in this chapter. I'll get back to this after this fanfic is finished.

Moving on, I would like to say that I don't have enough time to write another chapter in a while since our exams would be starting on Wednesday this coming week up to Saturday. I can promise, however, that I will update before this week ends, provided that I don't find myself in front of a writer's block after all the exams are finished.

Anyway, this is quite long now, so I think I'll stop here and see you all in the next chapter. This is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! See yah!


	14. Perilous Change

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)**

**[A/N:**

Well, after a long absence I finally got time to write another chapter of this fanfic. Actually, I already had a bunch of chapters written but due to an unexpected virus attack that I got last week, I did not have much of a choice but to reformat my computer, and since I was practically busy about so many things, I forgot to back up my files before that which ended up with me losing all of my files including those chapters that I have typed and finished. Luckily, I still have those chapters written on my head and all I have to do now is to encode them.

Anyway, here's the next update for Rabbit on the Moon, hope you guys enjoy!

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Perilous Change**

"Who would have thought that we would be dismissed like that, huh, Takuya?" Kouichi spoke as he sat in the outer seat of the train that they were on, polishing his sword as he spoke.

It had only been two days since Takuya took Tomoki's advice and told Izumi of what he had learned on their break-in at the fortress. It surprised her, of course, but she said nothing to Takuya after that. Instead, Takuya saw her talk with Kouji, looking as surprised as her afterwards.

It only took an hour after that until Takuya and Kouichi were both called in by their commanding officer; another hour before he and his friend were sent packing with Kouiji telling them that their mission was over; and another hour before Takuya found himself staring at the wilderness on his hoarse and on their way towards the nearby town.

"_Your mission is over, we already have the information that we needed._"

Those words echoed in Takuya's ear. There was no goodbye from any of them – not from Izumi, not from Tomoki and most definitely not from Kouji. He was relieved of course, that his life would not be in that much danger at it did as the mission went on, but there was still that deep feeling of regret for not even having given a chance to say parting words to the person that he had learned to love in such a short time.

He paused. His last thought swirling in his mind. "Love?" Takuya wondered, he was surprised to even see himself thinking of such a feeling. "Did I just say that I love Izumi?"

He stared out of the small window of the rusty train that they found themselves in, his thoughts were flying somewhere else, wondering what Izumi was doing. He felt confused. Part of him was happy and yearning for her, while another part kept telling him to forget about her.

"Takuya," Kouichi spoke. "something's been bothering me ever since that day we attacked your father's fortress."

Takuya looked over at his friend and companion. It was the first time that either of them mentioned anything about the siege.

"What is it, Kouichi?" he asked.

"Did you leave any mark that could possibly lead your father into suspecting you? I mean, any sort of hint that you were behind that rampage?"

Takuya thought for a while. He wasn't sure if he did leave any hints, he thought hard and just when he was about to shake his head, he suddenly remembered the contents of the letter that he had found…

"I think I might find myself trouble whether they found any evidence against me or not, Kouichi." Takuya replied and for the first time in a while, he was worried – no, scared even.

"What are you talking about? What could trouble could possibly find you other than that?"

He hadn't told anyone about the letter and its contents, well, it would seem now though that everyone did knew – Kouji, Tomoki and Izumi. The fact that his closest friend did not know what was happening around them made Takuya think twice.

_"If I had trusted those people whom I just met, what more trust could I need than the trust that I have placed with my closest friend?? The only friend who really knows a lot about me?"_

With that, Takuya decided to tell Kouichi everything, everything that has happened and everything that he had learned – starting from the very beginning of their adventure.

Hours flew by, the train that they were on had managed to pass another city then another one before the tale that Takuya was narrating finally came to an end. Throughout his narration, Kouichi listened intently. He didn't say anything nor reacted all that much to what Takuya had been saying, he just listened and Takuya was glad of this, after all, how would you feel if you told your closest friend the feelings that you were feeling for someone who is labeled by your family and all those around as your father's rival's daughter? Well, you could only guess.

"Wow, that is something." Kouichi finally said. "If your father knew about that power of yours even before you did, then that would certainly be trouble for you. I mean, your father is so keen on unlocking the secret of those ancient powers that I won't be surprised if he didn't think twice about handing you over to be experimented on."

Takuya did not like to admit it, but as how things looked and by where they stand it was likely and so he gave a nod to acknowledge what Kouichi said.

"What's more," he went on. "Your father probably knows by now that Izumi is also a chosen one, he would have sent his men to apprehend her and this time he would probably be sending a lot more of his soldiers than what we have faced so far. That also goes with Tomoki."

"I think Kouji realized that as well." Takuya said. "I think that's the reason why he suddenly sent us off – to confuse whomever it was that was spying on us or following us, if there are any."

Silence filled the air. Both were thinking about the wellbeing of those people that they have met, of their companions and both of them were unknowingly wishing the same thing as the other – that no harm would come to any of them.

Takuya sighed. "I really find you lucky, Kouichi."

"Lucky? You must be kidding!"

"No, I am not. You don't have as much problem as I do now. You don't need to be on constant vigilance wherever you go for fear of being attacked. You don't find yourself caged in by a lot of rules and a lot of expectations just because you are a powerful person's son…or in your case, grandson. You can practically do whatever you want. What's more, your family wish the best from you…unlike mine who seems to only be interested in the power that is locked within me than just being interested in me as a person."

Kouichi looked at Takuya intently, not averting his gaze from him and what he saw in his eyes were sadness and longing. He was bewildered by this, and surprise all the same, after all, you would expect someone like him to have everything he wishes for, his father was one of the most powerful people in Frontiria and he, himself, has an ancient power that no one could possibly equal.

He wanted to say something, something that could possibly lift his spirit, after all, that's what a friend should do, right? But despite wanting to do so, he could only find himself saying his name.

"Takuya…"

The train ride went on and on and so did the silence that filled itself in the space between Takuya and Kouichi. Neither felt any need to speak or simple found that the silence was more comfortable than words being expressed.

As night fell down upon the train and its passengers, and with the moon shinning brightly overhead, Takuya found himself drifting off into an uneasy sleep…

_ There was boy who was already 8 years old…_

_ The sun was shinning brightly at their small, but seemingly important town of Harim. The wind blew causing the braches of the trees that surrounds this peaceful yet busy town to sway along with it._

_ The children who were the same age as him were given this day as a day for rest, after all, making this one of those training days would be too much of a punishment for them._

_ He was wearing his usual outfit: a hat made of raccoon fur, a leather jacket which has a black cotton shirt underneath, a pair of pants that matched the whole outfit and fighting shoes – the typical outfit of a warrior in training, which he still was at that time._

_ He didn't have any care at the world at that time, doing what he was asked and doing what he wanted to do. He found himself being called a trouble-maker at times, but it did not bother him at all…If he was like that, then that's what he's like._

Takuya looked at the scenery before him. He was familiar with it, although he found it was hazy for him. It was as if there was something at that particular time that he needed to remember – something important.

_He ran as he played tag with the other children his age. He was smiling, it was a genuine smile, a smile that only a kid could possibly pull off._

As Takuya remembered these events, he felt a voice inside him, a voice that seemed somewhat familiar and at the same time foreign. It was telling him to absorb the things that he will see, to remember…

_Suddenly the boy spun around, it looked as if he was looking directly at Takuya. Takuya looked back at the boy whose face lit up in an even bigger and wider smile. He ran towards him, Takuya was already prepared to say something if the boy was to ask him something, but instead of stopping, the auburn-colored haired boy went pass him as if he was not there and went directly to a blond color girl that Takuya did not see until he whirled himself around._

Takuya froze. There standing in front of the boy was a smaller and younger version of a person that not once had ever entered his dream until now…Izumi.

_"What took you so long?" The boy asked._

Takuya saw the little Izumi sob.

_ "Why are you crying, is there something wrong?" the boy asked again._

_ "Daddy said he got promoted." The little girl said._

_ "Then that's great! You should be happy with your daddy." Said the boy._

_ "I am happy for him, but…"_

_ "But what?"_

_ "We're moving to where daddy was reassigned to."_

_ That surprised the young boy. "Moving? When?"_

_ "Today." Said the girl, trying to stop herself from crying._

Takuya felt it was familiar. He felt that he was seeing someone else's memories at the same time. He was confused that he did not know what to think.

"This is Izumi, I feel so sure about that. But why is it that I'm dreaming of this? This is her memory, right?"

He did not know why he spoke those questions out loud. He just felt the urge to do so. He was not even hoping to hear any reply from anyone, so it came as a surprise when that same familiar yet alien voice spoke back to him.

"You're half right about what you think, kid." The voice spoke that startled Takuya.

"W-who's there?" he asked as he looked around.

"Just a friend, no one else. And I am here to help you with something, something that needs to be rushed as so."

"What do you mean? Who are you really?"

"Are names really that much important?"

The two young people in front of him who were silent for a while began to spoke again as the little girl sobbed.

_ "It can't be helped then…I know how important your daddy's job is." The boy finally said._

_ "But then I won't get to see you, auntie, uncle or any of the nice people here anymore."_

_ "Don't worry, you can always visit us."_

_ "It won't be the same as living here. Daddy said his new assignment is somewhere very, very far…I don't think I could visit everyday."_

_ The young boy couldn't help but laugh at what she said._

Takuya could not understand. Why were these children – Izumi and this boy, not sad for the parting. Why did this boy laugh when she said that she couldn't visit?

"Can't you really see a familiarity with this?" came the voice again.

"Familiarity?"

"Yes. Doesn't it seem familiar to you? Don't you remember anything about this at all?"

"Remember? What are you talking about?"

_ "Alright then, how about we make a promise?"_

_ "A promise?"_

_ The boy nodded. "Yep, a promise. A promise that we'll always keep in touch with each other. How about that?"_

_ The boy held out his hand, ready to make a pinky swear, the little girl did the same and said, "I promise."_

_ They both smiled._

_ "I know it would be lonesome at that new place…" the little girl said._

_ "You won't know that." The boy said, "But if you are ever lonely just make a wish at the rabbit on the moon."_

_ "The rabbit on the moon?" the little girl asked, confused._

_ The boy nodded, "My dad said, before he left, that there's a rabbit on the moon who is ready to lend a hand to anyone who needs help. So, whenever you're sad, or whenever you have a problem, just look at the moon and remember you have good-old-me, and I'll go to you and help you out."_

_ "Is that a promise?"_

_ The boy nodded._

"The Rabbit on the Moon?" Takuya said wistfully. "Now that's something I'd never thought I'd hear again."

"What are you talking about? You should hear that over and over your head when you get lonely at times, after all, you said it yourself when you were young – it was your father who told you about that story."

Takuya's expression changed from wistful to surprise as a sudden realization dawned upon him.

"This place…this setting…everything...this is Harim isn't it?" Takuya said. "Harim from that time ten years ago."

"So you finally got that part right. Anything else?"

"That girl, she's really Izumi, isn't she?" He asked.

"She is. That's Izumi from that time when her father got the promotion. Of course, she didn't know what her father's job was at all, so she didn't know that the promotion meant that his father would become one of the Commanders of Frontiria. It's much like how you were unaware of your father's job when you were young. You can say that it was because of a promise both your father and her father made to your mother and her mother."

"A promise?"

"Yes. The promise to not put you and Izumi in danger just because you are a son of a Commander and she a daughter."

"Then, why did he change? Why did he and Izumi's father changed like that? Why are they suddenly bent on having more power than the other? My father doesn't even think much about my safety anymore at all."

"I can't answer that question, Takuya…Well, not at the moment." The voice replied. "What I am here for, is for you to recall something, something that is very valuable in the road ahead."

"Recall something valuable by looking at this scene?"

"Yes."

Takuya watched as the young boy hugged Izumi goodbye and suddenly there was nothing but white everywhere he looked.

"You said that this was only a fragment of her memory?"

"Yes. But it doesn't mean that this is hers alone."

"Is this my memory?" He asked. He felt as if it was something that he needed to confirm.

"What do you think?"

Silence.

"You're thinking that it is not your memory, right? That it's because you can't remember anything about this ever happening. But had you thought about the possibility that maybe some of your memories were taken from you? That because of your father's wishes both you and Izumi forgot your memories from ten years ago? That maybe your father modified your memories just as her father modified hers?"

"Then you're saying that what I just saw was part of that memory that was taken from me? Is that it?"

Another silence.

"That's it, isn't it?" Takuya went on. "Then that would mean that…"

"That you and Izumi knew each other well before your first mission. That you and Izumi used to be the best of friends. That you and Izumi grew up together in Harim. That you and Izumi are both chosen ones. And that you and Izumi both made a promise, a promise that neither of you were able to keep due to circumstances."

"Does she know about it?" He asked.

"I don't know. The only thing I know about is you. What she remembers, feels, or all those other stuff about her? I only know the same things that you know."

"Why did you tell me all this?"

"Because the time for you to decide is nearing." The voice replied. "Danger is coming and a change is about to happen."

"Danger what do you mean?"

But there was no reply. What he heard was the screeching of the train's brakes and before he knew it, he was being awakened by Kouichi.

"Wha-what's going on?" He asked, his head throbbing in pain from the impact it received from the sudden stop of the train.

An announcement suddenly sounded off to answer everyone's query, and the voice that spoke came from a man's.

"We apologize for the sudden stop of the train, but we have received word that a young man who is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Ygdrassil Fortress."

"What the --!" Kouichi murmured. "Are they serious about this?"

Just then, a masked man appeared right beside the seat where Takuya was and said: "It's no use to hide, Mr. Kanbara. Your father knows about what you have been doing, and I could tell you, that he is not very pleased."

**To be continued…**

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**[A/N:**

Before anything else, I would first like to answer the reviews that you have sent from the previous chapter of Rabbit on the Moon…so, here it goes…

**Nerf-or-Nothing:** Actually, I am not a fan of Sailor Moon and I did not realize, before you pointed it out, that Rabbit on the Moon translates to Usagi Tsukino. I actually thought of the title after watching an episode from (dot)Hack://Legend of the Twilight Bracelet. I just implemented a legend they mentioned (after research about that legend of the Rabbit on the Moon) into a fanfic for my favorite season of Digimon.

**lilMayumi** Thank you for the compliments. I hope you continue to read this through the end.

**Angelheart17:** Well, it's a given as to who the warriors of light, dark and thunder are, but as for the other warriors, that's entirely a different thing. I don't think that I'll be following on the usual belief that Katsuharu and the others are supposed to be the bearers of the other spirits. But who knows, maybe I will if I decide to make a different turn from the plot that has already been planned out for this story.

**dogluv101:** I didn't expect that the previous chapter would have a deeper feel to it than what I had anticipated, but I am happy that you enjoyed reading it. Thank you.

**TwinkieTUTUS** Yep, it was really quite a long chapter, and thank you for the compliment about it as well. Hope you like this chapter as well and good luck with working on your own 'project'.

**asdf** Thanks for the compliment, and my exams did go well, very well in fact. And I did not get a writer's block after all, which is a relief. Lol

Now with that out of the way, I want to thank everyone who reviewed and read this fanfic. Being an editor-in-chief in our newly organized school publication would really make me busy now, but I still have managed to plan ahead of my schedule for a time to update every week, which I hope I could follow.

Anyway, hope you all like this chapter! With that said, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Good day everyone!


	15. Moments of Tension

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)**

**[A/N: **

Well, thanks for all those who reviewed again. I found myself having a spare time so I decided to continue on working with this fanfic on while I have nothing to do. This chapter is pretty long. I've first thought of dividing this chapter into three parts, but decided otherwise so instead of this chapter being separated into three chapters, I made it into a single chapter. Anyhow, here's the latest addition to the Rabbit on the Moon fanfic, enjoy!

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Moments of Tension**

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* * *

**

Takuya remained where he was, sitting on the cold, iron floor of the halted train, staring back at the eyes of the masked man who had been ordered to capture him. All around them, dozens of Knights came rushing to surround the masked man and Takuya with Kouichi.

Kouichi seeing the need to intervene did so.

"What is this all about, gentlemen?" He asked, trying to radiate authority in front of the mysterious man and his force.

"I think we have made it perfectly clear, Lord Kimura." The masked man spoke in his icy tone, "There is no use in denying the allegations placed upon your friend and companion, Lord Kanbara, for we already have enough evidence to punish him for treason."

"Treason?" Takuya exclaimed. "When did I commit such an act? And what's all these nonsense about my father, as you put it, knowing what I have been doing?"

There was a brief silence. In the midst of this silence, both Takuya and Kouichi tried to think of a way to get out of the situation that they were in. Both asking in their minds if this was all just a bluff, a misunderstanding of some sort, yet, despite this, fear lingered in them that the older Kanbara really did know what has been going on with his son.

"Do you really wish to discuss more of the incident in Ygdrassil here among these common folks?" the masked man questioned, Takuya could imagine the smirk behind the mask that this man would have pasted on his face with such a question.

He tried to think. What was he to do? What was he to say? Yet, there was no answer. He realized then and there that this must be what that voice had mentioned in his dream and he began to think how it would really help to hear that voice say something, anything to get him out of his predicament.

But nothing came. Not a word from the voice, not even in his mind.

With nothing to fight with, Takuya was taken by the masked man and his Knights. Kouichi being unable to do anything despite his position as an heir to the Kimura Family, all he could do was watch as his friend and companion was being taken away from him.

As sudden as the train stopped for the Knights to board did it resume operation. Kouichi stood there, stunned. He could not believe his helplessness. He could not believe nor even think of how Takuya's father knew that his son was behind the assault on the once-formidable fortress.

"This is bad…" he muttered as he slumped back down on the leather-skinned passenger's seat of the train.

Kouchi knew the punishment for such an act as treason, as the masked man pointed out. He knew that, at any case, the Knights would follow their procedures. First interrogation, then if the person would not cooperate or they did not like the person's answer it would mean only one thing…torture, and when they have enough information or had enough fun out of their prey, their comes the big finale…

He shuddered at the thought of what lies after torture. He knew that he had to do something, and by that something, he could only think of one thing and that is to ask for assistance from his grandfather…

* * *

Rows upon rows of Knights gather by the front gates of the Orimoto Mansion, they lie in wait for the return of the only daughter of the said family and right in the middle of this congregation there stood the worried father and an ecstatic bodyguard. 

"Commander, I don't know what you were thinking sending Lady Izumi off like that with only the Vice-Commander and a duo of Knight Apprentices as company." The bodyguard spoke.

The Commander did not mind such words, which would seem disrespectful to other Commanders, to be spoken to him. He had, after all, always believed in the freedom of speech of his men, something that he thought would earn respect – which usually did.

"You know how I take my duties seriously sir, and to that end I would have believed that you would give me the privilege to be by Lady Izumi's side on her journey, I am after all, her body guard." He continued on.

The news of Izumi's secret mission was only made known to those who were close to her and to those that the Commander thought were trustworthy enough to handle such a delicate secret as his daughter's mission. Her return from what his father had told the public to be her 'vacation' had been told to everyone, however.

"I would have placed my daughter under your care, Lord Junpei, had if not been for my daughter's request." The Commander replied.

With those words the said commander could very well imagine the reaction of his companion, and what he had imagined to be his reaction was how he actually reacted in reality.

"WHAT?" Junpei exclaimed. "She requested that I may not accompany her? How could she say something like that."

"Pipe down, Lord Junpei." Commander Orimoto said with a glimmer of hidden laughter in his aqua-colored eyes. "I agreed to her request seeing as her reason had something to do with you-know-what."

Junpei was about to react to what his superior had said, but just as he was about to, the trumpet sounded signaling the return of the Commander's daughter. A command sounded to salute the said daughter and her companion, the Vice Commander of the Eastern Corps.

The Vice Commander, Kouji saluted them back signaling them to be at rest as he and Izumi proceeded towards the middle of the congregation to where the Eastern Corps Commander stood waiting with a smile of relief on his face.

"Commander Orimoto, we have returned." Kouji said as he saluted.

"Welcome back then Vice Commander." He said, then faced his daughter and gave her a warm, welcoming embrace. "I'm glad to see you safe and sound, Izumi."

"I'm glad to be back as well, father." Izumi said.

"Now then," the commander spoke as he and his daughter broke their hug. "Shall we talk about the events that transpired during your 'vacation' inside?"

"Yes, of course." Izumi replied.

And with that, the father and daughter walked side-by-side as they entered their house and on towards the Commander's room. They were followed by the Vice Commander, Kouji and Izumi's bodyguard, Junpei.

"I can't believe that you got to spend all that time with Lady Izumi, Kouji." Junpei whispered as they walked behind the Commander and Izumi. "I should have been the one with her, not you."

"In your dreams, Junpei." Kouji retorted. "If you were to have been with Lady Izumi on that mission, you would have certainly jeopardized it even before it began."

"What did you say?" Junpei asked. "That's no way to talk to your friend, just because you were promoted to Vice Commander doesn't mean you get to have all the cool missions."

"Actually, it does." Kouji replied. "Besides, your pervert-ness when it comes to Lady Izumi would be more than enough of a threat for her father to send you with her."

"For your information, oh-great-Kouji, it was Lady Izumi who requested that I would not accompany her." Junpei said in a matter-of-fact voice. "If the Commander could have seen the need for me to be the one he sent with her, then he would have made it happen."

Kouji looked at his friend and Lady Izumi's bodyguard with amusement. "Who told you something like that?"

"The Commander."

Kouji tried to stifle a laughter. "Did you actually believe that? The Commander may have said it, but the truth is HE was the one who chose me to accompany his daughter. Lady Izumi had no choice in this."

"But the Commander…"

"The Commander only said that so that you won't feel too depressed or sorry about yourself for it, he does it most of the time."

The discussion (and debate) between Kouji and Junpei came to a halt when they reached the Commander's Study where their discussion changed into a serious one.

"So, how did it go?" The Commander asked. "I can assume that you have found some valuable information in regards to the King and Commander Kanbara."

Izumi and Kouji both nodded at this as Izumi handed him the letter that Takuya found.

"Father, that letter was found during our companions' assault on Ygdrassil." Izumi said as she handed her father the said letter.

"Yes, I've been meaning to ask both of you on that." The Commander said as he took the letter. "Why did you allow such action to be done, Vice Commander?"

Kouji moved forward, this was the moment that he had hoped would never come.

"We didn't plan on assaulting the fortress, sir, but due to the circumstances back then, we didn't have much of a choice."

"Circumstances?" The Commander asked with an eyebrow raised. "What kind of circumstances?"

And with that, the duo proceeded to tell the story of the events that transpired during their journey – from the very beginning of it, up to the end. They both however, made sure not to mention anything about the Takuya being with them.

Hours elapsed until finally the tale came to an end.

"I could not believe that such harm would come to my daughter even with you around, Lord Kouji."

"I'm deeply sorry, Commander." Kouji said. "We did not realize that the enemy knew of our movements even as we tried to make it as discrete as possible."

"Yes, certainly a spy was, and possibly is still, in our midst." Was what the Commander said, then asked, "Are you both certain that neither of your companions were spying on you?"

Izumi glanced over at Kouji. She knew that Takuya would still need to prove himself when it comes to Kouji and that Kouji found it hard to trust Takuya despite the many times that he had came through for them.

"Yes sir. I am quite certain that their intentions were clear and that neither of them are in line with the enemy."

"Very well then, you are dismissed, Lord Kouji and you too, Lord Junpei." The Commander said.

The two Knights saluted the Commander before heading out of the room leaving Izumi with her father.

"Is there something else you needed, father?" Izumi asked.

"Sit." Came the reply as her father opened the letter and proceeded reading it.

It took several minutes before the Commander of the Eastern Corps finished reading the letter, after doing so, he reread it several more times before he placed it down, rubbed his temple and sighed.

"Father, were you aware of the contents of the letter?" Izumi asked.

Her father shook his head then replied. "I know as far as the King's interest on the myth, but I never thought that he and Kanbara were actually looking for those people who were said to have been chosen as vessels of ancient powers."

"If it is just a myth, Father, then why is it that the Western Commander went through all the trouble of destroying a village to the north an capturing a child there and why is it that they were experimenting on him?"

"The child you speak of is the same as the one mentioned in the letter?"

Izumi nodded.

"I met him when I was captured by those rogue knights, and I can tell you Father, that he has the ability to control Ice."

"Where is that child now?" the Commander asked.

"He went back to the Village." Izumi replied.

"We have to make sure that he is safe, Izumi." The Commander said. "I don't know if the myth is only a myth or not, but we cannot put our faith on chance. The myth speaks of a terrible power being unleashed when the ten powers are united as one, I am not about to sit around and do nothing when I know that the myth also speaks of this power being the cause of either salvation or destruction."

"Don't worry, Father." Izumi said. "Tomoki, that boy, told us that he would come here after he makes sure that his family and his village are still safe."

"Then that is good to hear. We may be behind on this, but we cannot allow the other side to take hold of the other chosen ones."

"About that, Father, the letter also speaks of the possibility that I may be one of them." Izumi blurted out. It was something that has been bothering her ever since she learned of the contents of the letter and of why she had been taken captive and brought to the Ygdrasil.

Silence was the reply of her father who had then closed his eyes to think.

"I honestly do not know, Izumi." Her father replied after a while, "However, you bore a marking on you, marking that signifies 'Wind' in the Ancient Language…If we were to base their assumptions on the chosen ones on that, then, you may very well be one of them."

Izumi thought for a moment. She remembered the markings on Takuya's back. She knew the risk it would be on telling her father that she had been with his rival's son, but if it would help, she was going to tell him.

But before she could speak, her father beat her to it.

"Why do I have a feeling, Izumi, that you and the Vice Commander failed to tell me an important detail of that mission?"

Izumi jerked her head in surprise. "What do you mean, father?"

"I meant exactly what I said."

Silence…

"Well, Father, there is one thing." Izumi finally decided. "And I don't know how you are going to react to this…"

* * *

The sound of the whipping echoed through the damp corridors of the Ardelhyde Castle's underground chamber and with it was the tortured screams of a particular auburn-haired youth. 

Takuya had just been chained, hanging a couple of inches above the cold, hard ground. His shirt had been torn and on his back were whip marks and the wounds that it gave. His face had been distorted by punches he received whenever he failed to answer their questions. His hair was messier and there was blood from his head downwards.

"Why don't you tell us the reason why you attacked the fortress?" The masked man asked, his eyes showed the enjoyment he was having in torturing Takuya. "Who knows, we may even spare you for it."

"I have nothing to say to you!" Takuya said, his teeth gritted.

For that answer he earned three more rounds of beating.

"You're really making it hard on yourself." The masked man said.

"I don't care." Takuya retorted, his vision becoming blurry from all the beatings he had received in just a couple of hours. "You can beat me all you want, but I've got nothing to say to the likes of you."

"Hah! Your fierce even though you can't use that Flame of yours." The man said. "I wonder what your father will say when we tell him that you still won't cooperate even after all that you've been through with us."

"Well, why don't you bring him down here!" Takuya said. "I've got my own set of questions that I would like to ask him as well…or maybe he's to afraid to face his own son!"

As if on cue, the brass doors of the torture chamber opened.

As it did, a voice spoke. "My, my, is that how you talk about your own father, Takuya?"

Takuya looked over at the door, and there standing with two more knights, stood his father, the Commander of the Western Corps.

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**To Be Continued...**

**[A/N:**

Whew That was a whole lot of typing that I needed to do in just three hours. Sorry for some typos, if there are any, since I am in such a hurry (today's classes would start in about thirty minutes and I am using the school computer to do this…lol) I'll try to edit this chapter later on, if I find time to do so, but if you guys won't mind, I'll just leave it as it is until I've finished the rest of the chapters.

Anyhow, our exams (midterm exams) would be starting this Thursday up to Tuesday (next week), so you can expect an update either on Wednesday (next week) or Friday (next week). Well, seeing as I don't have any time left, I'll leave this here.

So until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out…See you guys soon!


	16. The Trouble Brewing Along

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)**

**[A/N:**

Well, I certainly didn't mean to make every one wait so long for this chapter to be put up. I had been busy what with two baby thesis that needs to be done and all those club activities that had been going on around campus. Anyway, my schedule is a little bit free at the moment, although not totally free, but I may be able to upload another chapter just before this week ends (cross your fingers, everyone). Well, that's enough for the pre-chapter Author's Notes, just read and enjoy this chapter now….

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Trouble Brewing Along**

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It had been several days since Izumi confessed what had truly occurred during her journey, although she did tell him what happened, she did not however include those times that she thought she was being 'intimate' with Takuya. Her father's reaction of accidentally having along the son of the very person that he detest at the moment with his daughter was already something, she could not bear to imagine what would have happened if she added the small fact (if you can call it small) of falling in love with Takuya.

She had accepted her feelings for him, feelings that seem to grow day after day since their parting. She had not heard from him, not a single news which made her wonder if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Having such an adventure in her life made her a little unrest. She could not fully explain the feeling of wanting to wander off somewhere. She had missed the excitement, the adrenaline that had her spellbound during those weeks of hiking, running, and even during that time at the Ygdrassil.

What she had found, however, on her return to their mansion was the same activities that had been occurring in her life for the past years – things that she was asked and expected to do – she was once again back to being the Eastern Commander's Daughter.

She also found loneliness. The kind where, even if you have company with you in the form of her bodyguard, she cannot act how she wanted to nor say what is on her mind, after all, she was known as the mild-mannered young lady of the Orimoto house.

At the moment, much like the many moments that had gone by over the course of several days, she was at the study reading books concerning what had really gotten her interested – the Ancients.

She had learned a lot about these so-called Ancients and the legends that go along with them, but had found nothing that could give out more of what the King and Takuya's father might truly be after. ..nothing that she did not know of already.

Besides wanting to know the reason behind the actions of these people, she was also curious if she was in fact part of all of this in some way. Her father had already told him that she was – but it was only an assumption, a wild guess. Even Commander Kanbara was unsure of who these others are, although she could remember the letter saying that they were certain Takuya and Tomoki were one of the ten.

The sudden thought of Tomoki suddenly made her realize something. She looked at the great grandfather's clock that was sitting by the lone shelf and her eyes widened to see what time it was already.

She quickly stood up, surprising Junpei who was drowsing off out of bordom.

Junpei, as if on reflex, bolted up and drew out his iron-forged sword and said, "Lady Izumi, don't worry, I'll protect you."

This of course made Izumi turn towards him with a questioning look.

"What are you talking about, Sir Shibayama?" she asked, her hands on her hips. "We had better hurry, Tomoki would be arriving any moment now."

"Tomoki?" he asked.

"Yes. Tomoki." Izumi answered. "The boy that father had asked to be protected."

"Oh, yeah…Tomoki."

The young man and the young lady then went on their way to the lounge where Izumi decided would be a better place to wait for Tomoki's arrival. No one could guess how glad she was when she heard her father ordering some of his men to fetch Tomoki from his village after receiving a reply to his telegram concerning his protection and the protection of his village.

She thought of how great it would be to have him around for company, after all, she learned how great a listener he was and how amazing some of his stories were as well.

Minutes elapsed before the sound of a carriage being put to a halt came. Without delay, Izumi rose up. She waited for the knock to sound, and when she did hear it, she hurriedly opened the door to be greeted by the bewildered knight who was accompanying the awe-struck Tomoki.

"L-lady Izumi, why are you the one opening the door?" The knight asked in a stutter.

"That's right, Lady Izumi," Junpei said. "You should not be the one doing such things, we have maids to answer the door."

"Oh, hush, both of you." Izumi said looking from one knight to another. "I can do things as simple as opening doors, you know. I don't need help with everything."

"Y-yes, of course, my Lady. My apologies." The knight who was accompanying Tomoki said before he bowed, turned around and began to attend to reporting to the Commander.

Seeing as the knight was gone, Tomoki finally spoke up. "It's been a while, Lady Izumi."

"Yes, it has been and I'm glad to see you again." Izumi replied to his greeting.

"So, you're that Tomoki." Junpei suddenly blurted out.

Tomoki looked over at the older man beside Izumi and began to scan him, thus, it took seconds before he nodded.

"Lady Izumi," Tomoki suddenly said. "Although I am glad to see you again, and that I have a lot of things to tell you, I cannot help but wonder if we can talk privately."

By the tone and the way that Tomoki spoke, Izumi could not help but feel surprised, and also, confused at such an odd request.

"Why is that, Tomoki?" was all that she could ask.

Tomoki, without hesitation, pointed towards Junpei and said, "My intuition is telling me not to trust anyone but you at the moment, which means that your Butler cannot hear our conversation."

"BUTLER?" Exclaimed Junpei, "I am not her Butler, you little twerp. I am her Bodyguard!"

Izumi looked over at Junpei, sighed and addressed Tomoki. "Very well, let us talk at the Council Room, I'm sure my father would not mind. However, I have to fully introduce you to my father first."

"I don't believe this, Lady Izumi." Junpei whispered as they began to head to the Commander's Study. "How could he think that I am just a Butler?"

"Let it go Junpei." Was all Izumi could say for she did not feel so much as insult her Bodyguard and side with Tomoki.

Tomoki, this having to be the first time he stepped foot inside a mansion, could not help but awe and marvel the exquisite interior of the said building and its surroundings. He asked a couple of questions concerning where some of the doors lead to and what function certain object have as well as the reasons why they were bought. It made Izumi realize that there really are some things that she had taken for granted, things that not everybody has or even aware of – her house was one simple example.

A knock erupted that caused the Commander Orimoto to look past the books scattered on his desk, the notes crumpled on the floor and the pen and parchment in hand. Although he did not feel like he should be attending to anyone, he just can't make himself ignore the continuous knocking.

"Come in." the Commander finally said as he took off his eyeglasses.

"Father, I am terribly sorry for the interruption, but Tomoki has finally arrived." Izumi said as she, with her entourage, entered the room.

Tomoki moved forward, bowed in the Northern Village kind of way and said, "It's an honor to finally meet the renowned Eastern Commander, sir."

The Commander rose from his seat, smiled and said. "Ah, so you are the Tomoki that my daughter has told me about. I am as honored to meet you as you are to meet me, young chosen one."

"Please, sir, don't address me as that." Tomoki said feeling uncomfortable of the title given to him. "I really don't like being called that."

"I apologize, I did not know that it affects you so." Commander Orimoto said, then he faced Junpei and said. "I am sorry, Junpei, but can you leave the three of us to talk, this is very confidential a matter."

Junpei although hating the fact of being asked to leave and being left out, could not help but obey the orders of the commander. With a sigh he closed the doors and stood guard outside.

"Tomoki Himi, I have heard from my daughter that you were caught by the other Commander, Commander Kanbara, is that true?"

Tomoki nodded. "Yes sir."

"Do you know why they did so?"

"I only know as much as what I have told Lady Izumi and from the letter that another companion of ours manage to find. Other than that sir, I can say that I am without a clue whatsoever."

Izumi, who heard how Tomoki addressed Takuya as, then told Tomoki that it was alright to mention Takuya's name for her father already know of who their other companions were.

"Really?" Tomoki asked. Then looked at the Eastern Commander. "Sir, it may sound out of place of me to ask, but I can't help but wonder what you think about Sir Takuya being a part of a mission that you yourself started."

Izumi was as surprised as her father was with such a question from such a young boy. The Commander, which Tomoki expected to be mad of his question, burst into laughter.

"I am quite surprise by your query, young Tomoki, and I respect you for such boldness. For that, I will answer you." The commander said when he finally stopped laughing. "I was surprised."

"That's it, sir? Just surprised?"

"Tomoki!" Izumi tried to make him hush.

"It's alright, Izumi." Her father said. "I was surprised at first, as well as annoyed. But, with how Izumi told me he had helped her and this mission, I ended up being in debt to the son of my rival."

"Sir," Tomoki said after a while, "I may really sound more out of place in saying this but, I think you should think of Sir Takuya as a separate person from his father."

The Commander of the Eastern Corps looked at the young man intently, sighed and said, "That, I am afraid, will require much more thought. I cannot fully trust him to be someone entirely different from his father, he is after all _his_ son."

"Then that is enough of an answer for me, Sir." Tomoki said smiling. "You see, Takuya Kanbara is my friend, and he is also someone like me…someone…_special_."

The meeting with the Eastern Commander lasted for more than an hour before Tomoki and Izumi were finally alone in the Council Room.

Tomoki stretched his arms and waved them around. He then exhaled and exhaled before saying, "Finally, I can relax."

Izumi laughed. "You really did not have to act all formal with my father, you know."

"I know, Lady Izumi." Tomoki said. "I just felt like it."

With that, the two laughed. It was the first time in a while that either of them laughed as they did at that time. When their laughter had finally subsided, they began on talking once again.

"So, how was your village?" Izumi asked as she too began to relax a little.

"We're managing, Lady Izumi." Tomoki replied. "Of course there are some of us who still feel traumatized by the incident. But are we glad that your father and his knights are willing to protect us."

"Well, my father did say that he had to make sure that something like that would not happen again." Izumi stated, then added, "By the way, Tomoki, would you mind dropping the formalities?"

"But why, Lady Izumi?" Tomoki asked. "Isn't it rude not to be formal in front of the heir to the name 'Orimoto'?"

"It's not rude at all Tomoki if I am asking you. I haven't really been fond of titles and formalities."

"If you insist then…but maybe I should just be formal whenever we're with somebody else." Tomoki finally gave in.

"That's better, so from now on just call me Izumi, okay?"

"Right." Tomoki agreed, then asked, "By the way, Izumi, did you also let Lord Takuya call you 'Izumi'?"

It was an unexpected question for Izumi, that all she could say was a "What?" at first before stuttering, "Why did you ask me that all of a sudden?"

"Well, I just wondered if you let him drop the formalities as well." Tomoki replied. "Any way, I haven't heard anything about him at all, not a single news."

"Same here." Izumi said. "Although I didn't exactly hope that he would write to us or even give us a word of what happened. Kouji did make it harsh for both Takuya and Kouichi."

Before they could continue on discussing such things, the Vice Commander suddenly burst into the room. His face was pale and in shock and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. There was also a hint of anxiety in his voice as he said. "Lady Izumi, we've received bad news from the Northern General's grandson, Kouichi. It seems Takuya was taken captive by his father and labeled as a traitor to the Kingdom!"

"What did you just say?" Izumi exclaimed.

"Takuya was what?" Tomoki said at the same time.

"It seems, based on Kouichi's narrative, that on their way back to the Academy, the train they were on was suddenly put to a halt by a group of Knights commanded by some masked man working under the Western Commander. Kouichi could not do anything against these group and instead of making a riot on a public transportation, Takuya decided to give himself up." Kouji summarized. "It seems, that this was a couple of days ago. We don't know how Takuya is doing and neither does Kouichi or his grandfather. What's more, I think you may already know this Lady Izumi, but the consequence of being labeled as a traitor is death."

"This is bad." Tomoki said. "Why would his own father put him in such a predicament."

"We don't know. But Kouichi and the Northern Corps General are hoping that Commander Orimoto would help in trying to persuade King Seraphim to let Takuya go as he is innocent and the one at fault is his father, Commander Kanbara." Kouji said.

"And did father agree to lend aide?" Izumi asked, part of her fearing the answer that was to be given.

"I do not know, my lady." Kouji replied. "He only said that he was going to think about it. What's more, General Kimura and Kouichi are on their way here and are expected to arrive sometime tomorrow."

Izumi was silent. She did not know what to say. She, as well as those who had read the letter that Takuya found knew that the King would, of course, do nothing to help Takuya. They would not kill him as well for he was needed since he was a chosen one, so, Izumi could only conclude that they were going to keep him captive and make him suffer so long as he does not agree to do as they wish…And as she remembered how Takuya thinks – his moral standing and his beliefs, it isn't hard to figure out that he would more likely choose not to follow his own father.

"Lady Izumi…?"

"This shouldn't be. Takuya should not be the one facing this problem alone. I was the reason why you, Kouichi and Takuya had to assault Ygdrassil." Izumi blurted out. She felt guilty.

"Lady Izumi, you should not blame yourself. If we were more careful, then you wouldn't have been held captive there and we wouldn't have needed to attack the fortress." Kouji said. "What's more, I think there isn't any use for pointing fingers as to who to blame or feel guilty of the matter. We can no longer change the past, but, we can work on making the Commander agree in lending his hand on this mission."

"Lord Kouji is right, Lady Izumi." Tomoki agreed. "But the real problem is not on making the Commander agree to it, but rescuing Takuya. I doubt the King would let him go since he is in line with Commander Kanabara's plan…better yet, he is the one behind it all."

"Well, it's no use thinking it over by ourselves."Kouji said as that realization also occurred to him. "We will have to wait for the Kimura's to arrive tomorrow."

"Then we wait…" Izumi whispered to herself. 

Unknown to them, someone was listening in on their conversation… 

**To Be Continued….**

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**[A/N:**

Whew…that certainly was longer than usual…or not….Hope you guys like it, I just had to put a little mystery just before this chapter ends…lol…

Well, I do hope you guys liked it. I'm expecting you all to take a moment to review this chapter and tell me what your thoughts are about the fanfic so far. I had to cut it short for my author's notes, so I'll be signing out now.

This is Sakura Martinez, saying "Peace" and signing out! See you guys on the next chapter and don't forget to REVIEW!!!


	17. If Tails, Despair If Heads, Hope

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)**

**[A/N:**

Well, it certainly took a while before I got this finished. This chapter may be a bit confusing (or not)…depends, really. Anyhow, I want to thank those people who continue to read and review this fanfic despite the fact that updates are delayed (most of the time, lol). I hope you guys continue to support this one, so with that said, enjoy this newest chapter of The Rabbit on the Moon!

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**If Tails, Despair; If Heads, Hope**

A Carriage accompanied by four knights on horse back – two in front and two at the back, came to a screeching halt. It was the Knights, whose faces were all hidden underneath their iron-forged helmets, on horses that first got off. One of them opened the carriage doors to let out a balding man with a stern looking face and a scar on his right eye.

The man looked around, nodded, and accompanied by the Knights entered the mansion. He wore an aristocratic suit instead of the Generals' armor, and with it a Blue-colored cape. On the cape was the insignia of the Kimura Clan above the insignia of the Northern Corps. Kouichi followed him close behind wearing the same outfit.

As the two visitors entered, they were both greeted with a handshake by the Eastern Commander himself.

"I wish I could say that it is a pleasure to see you, General." Commander Orimoto said. "But with the situation that your grandson presented us with, I can say otherwise."

"Yes, of course." General Kimura said. "I deeply regret having to come here on an occasion such as this. But, you are partly responsible for what happened. I do hope you admit as much."

As the two talked, the younger ones found themselves in the lounge. The General and Commander had both agreed that they would need to talk about this matter in private.

"I should have been able to do something." Kouichi said out of the blue, "I can't believe grandfather would even go to lengths as to say that Commander Orimoto is partly responsible for what happened to Takuya."

"Well, we hate to admit it, but your grandfather is right, Sir Kouichi." Izumi said. "Father should have picked who he wanted to be in the mission instead of doing it in a random fashion and letting the Academy do the picking. But, father isn't entirely responsible. I am to blame as well."

Kouji sighed. "What's the point of blaming? How many times do I have to voice out that we shouldn't be blaming ourselves or each other. Tell me, Kouichi, does the General have any plans?"

"Not in particular that I know of. All he says is that we should try talking to the King." Kouichi replied. "Of course, I did mention the fact that the King may be behind Takuya's capture."

"So, does that mean that your grandfather also knows about what's been going on? About the Chosen Ones and all that?" Tomoki asked.

Kouichi nodded. "He had heard the whole story from Commander Orimoto. It seems that the rumors concerning the Knights of the Order are true."

"Rumors? You mean the one that they are taking sides?" Izumi asked.

Kouichi nodded. "It's more in a grand scale. At first, we all thought that this was only just between your father and Takuya's father, but the truth is far deeper than that. It seems that the Four Generals and the Four Commanders all know about the Ancient Powers and all that stuff."

"What are you saying then?" Kouji asked.

"Well, the two fractions – one bent on awakening the 'Power' while the other wants to protect it, are being led by the Royals. That's just the rumors, though, but with what's happening, I think there is more truth in it than just that." Kouichi explained.

"Well, we can already conclude that King Seraph is leading the group who wants to unlock the Ancient Power and use it for their own. Which means that talking with him about letting Takuya go with be out of the question." Izumi stated. "If we are going to say that the rumors of two Royals being the mastermind behind the two groups, then maybe we can find out who the member of the Royal Family is that is on the opposing group."

"That would be easier said than done, Lady Izumi." Tomoki said. "There would be no way that any of those people would admit going against the King."

"The kid is right, my lady." Kouji nodded in agreement. "Although, there might be another way since, it is obvious your father is on that opposing side, he must know who their head is."

"I doubt it." Kouichi said. "My grandfather is also on the same side as the Commander. If they do know who their head is, then, shouldn't my grandfather have proposed to talk to that person instead of the King?"

Silence was the answer to Kouichi's query. It was quite obvious now that whoever the other member of the Royal family was, has no plans of letting his (or her) cover being blown.

Just then, Tomoki heard something. Without thinking twice, and as if on reflex, he stretched his hand to the direction of where the sound came from and let out a small amount of his power in the form of a cold wave of air.

As he did so, everyone was surprised as they all heard a muffled scream from that same direction.

"Tomoki, what was that?" Izumi asked.

"A little precaution, Lady Izumi." Tomoki replied. "I heard something over there, and I have been feeling a presence."

"So you're saying someone has been listening in to our conversation?" Kouji asked.

As Kouji spoke, he walked over to the open window where Tomoki fired his magic attack. It took a couple of minutes before everyone heard him sigh.

"It's alright, everyone." He said, which made everyone follow towards where he was at and what they saw there was Junpei frozen solid, obviously listening in to their conversation.

"This guy is really something…" Tomoki whistled at the 'statue' which was Junpei. "Does he always do this when you're talking with somebody, Lady Izumi?"

"I don't really notice." Izumi replied. "But this may cause trouble for you Tomoki, I bet he's going to explode when he returns back to normal…He will be released from his frozen state, right?"

Tomoki nodded. "In about four hours at most."

"I should really punish him for doing so." Kouji said. "It is against a Knight's principle to listen in on conversations that obviously are personal."

"I think this may be punishment enough for him, Vice Commander." Kouichi said.

Just then, the doors of the lounge opened to reveal Kouichi's Grandfather and Izumi's father. When they saw them all huddled by the window, the two grown-up men could not help but ask what was so interesting. With no one wanting to talk, the two looked for themselves and found the same frozen Junpei.

"What happened to him?" Commander Orimoto asked.

"Well Commander, to put it simply, Junpei was caught by Tomoki listening in to our conversation and well…" Kouji began to explain.

"I ended up freezing him. It's a reflex thing, sir." Tomoki finished.

"So this is what you can do, boy?" the General asked.

"A fraction of it, yes, sir."

"Well, it's quite impressive."

"So, have you decided on what action to take, Father?" Izumi asked.

Her father nodded. "For now, we have but one option, and that is by talking it over with the King."

"But the King _is_ behind it." Izumi said. "You really can't expect him to free Sir Takuya with just a talk. It is his plan to capture every possible Chosen Ones after all."

"Lady Izumi is right." Kouichi chimed in. "Grandfather, there has to be another way, a more certain way of saving Takuya's life."

"You can try busting him out of the King's Dungeon, but that would only make matters worst." General Kimura said. "I know how you all feel, after all, he did help in bringing to light some things that have been bothering us. But there is no other option so far."

"What about talking to the rumored royal who is against the king?" Kouji asked.

"It would prove unfruitful." Commander Orimoto said. "We already have a vague idea of whom this royal is, but the King may suspect something if the General of the Southern Corps and myself would suddenly ask an audience with her."

"Her?" the children asked in unison.

"Yes. Her."

"Who is this royal, then?" Izumi asked.

"I'm afraid we cannot tell you that information, it is strictly confidential and apart from that, we are still unsure if such information is true." General Kimura said.

Silence filled the room, a silence that was only broken when Kouichi suddenly spoke.

"Grandfather, there's something that is bothering me." Kouichi said.

"What is it?" his Grandfather asked.

"Takuya has already been labeled as a traitor, correct?" He asked.

The older Kimura nodded.

"It has also been announced to the council of his betrayal."

"Yes, it has been." The General nodded once again.

"If that is so, then the people and the council will be expecting Takuya to be hanged sooner or later."

"Well, that is a certainty, after all the people would surely not want to see any favoritism or to let this one slide just because he is the son of a Commander." Commander Orimoto was the one who spoke.

"Father!" Izumi said in disbelief hearing his father say something like that.

"It is a fact, Izumi, that all traitors are hanged. If the King would not hang Takuya, then it would give an impression to the people that there is a bias in the rule of the one who governs them. The King would not let something like that happen." Commander Orimoto explained. "I am guessing that when they can no longer extract any information from Takuya, when they cannot find a way to get a hold of his power and when they fail to make him cooperate, they will certainly hang him."

"I find it cruel." Tomoki said. "After they torture him, if they cannot have what they want, they would still kill him…"

"That is the iron hand of justice that the King and those who follow him believe." General Kimura said. "It has been like that since time immemorial. Anyway, why do you ask this, Kouichi?"

"I was thinking, why not wait for such a time?" Kouichi said. "I mean, if we manage to free Takuya by force during the time when he is to be presented to the public before he is hanged, then it would seem like it was a group of sympathizers who freed him. It would be hard to find any evidence that we were the ones behind it, after all, I doubt that the King or his father would even imagine Takuya being rescued by Commander Orimoto's men and for the General of the South to butt into such an affair."

"But if we were to wait for that to happen, then it would only be a one-shot plan." Kouji said. "A plan that we cannot afford to fail."

Kouichi nodded. "Also, the people who would rescue him would have to be those that have not been reported to have been with us during the siege on Ygdrassil. That way, it would really seem like an unknown group saved him."

The Commander and the General began to think Kouichi's proposed plan through for a moment.

"If that is so, then we would have to pick people who are trustworthy enough to aide us in this, and those people would have to seem like they have no connection with us." Commander Orimoto said.

"That would be quite hard, sir." Tomoki said. "But I think I can manage to drag someone to help us."

"You know of someone willing to do something like this?" General Kimura asked.

Tomoki nodded. "Yes, sir. But I would have to really talk this over with him, he is a member of our Tribe, so to speak."

"Well, that's one person. We need at least five people for this operation." Kouji said.

"Five, huh?" The Commander thought. "I think we can use Junpei for this."

"What?" Izumi exclaimed. "Father, are you serious? You cannot possibly mean that."

"Well, neither the King nor Kanbara has met nor seen Junpei, so I can see no problem with it."

"But he is Junpei Shibayama!" Izumi said as if making a point with just saying his name.

"We don't have much of a choice with this, Lady Izumi." Kouji said. "Although I too would not propose to have him on this mission, we can't be picky and the Commander does have a point."

"Then it's settled." Commander Orimoto said. Then he faced the General and asked. "General Kimura, perhaps you can spare someone as well into this mission?"

"I can't say no, can I? After all, Takuya is my grandson's closest friend." The General said. "Very well, leave the rest to me, I may have three people to spare for this."

"Alright." Commander Orimoto said. "I hope this plan of yours work, young Kouichi, for your friend's sake and for our sake as well."

Kouichi nodded to that, he could not think of anything to say. But in the back of his mind he could not help but think how big a gamble this mission would be – a gamble in which Takuya Kanbara's life would be at stake.

**To be Continued…**

**[A/N:**

Whew, that was some typing I had to finish just so I could upload this one up. Anyhow, the title of the chapter might not make sense at first, but I hope you guys found the sense in it after reading this chapter (uh, does that make sense?)

By the way, although this is just a side note, I am currently working on a Digimon Frontier game, a fan game to be exact, that follows the story of the series with an added extra on it. Why am I telling you guys this? Well, because I need help with some of the things for this game. I have been having problems with our internet connection as of late, so I am not able to search for these things myself.

These things are actually full body images of some of the characters. I need images of Kouichi, one where he is wearing a cap and another without the cap as well as Takuya's mother and brother, Izumi's classmates, Koji's and Kouichi's parents, Junpei's friends, Tomoki's brother and the other Spirit Shinkers. If there are those who are reading this that could help, then please send me a link or an email as to where to find said images.

Well, that is out-of-track, anyhow, that's all for now (hey, wow, that rhymes!). I hope you guys did enjoy reading this chapter. Please review and continue to read it. You can expect the next chapter to be released sometime this week (hopefully). And with all that said, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Ja ne!


	18. The Plight of Izumi and Takuya

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)**

**[A/N:**

Well, after a long absence due to pilling amounts of school work, not to mention two baby theses, I finally had the time to write this chapter. I really apologize for the amount of delay, which I hope is now unimportant to you all as here is another chapter that I wish you would enjoy.

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Plight of Izumi and Takuya**

Takuya groaned, his whole body sore from all the punishment that he has been given. He could no longer tell how many days he had been locked up in the cold, wet and dark four-cornered room. He could no longer remember, try as he may, the feeling of being able to sleep on a soft bed; the feeling of eating decent meals; nor the feeling of not having his wrists as well as his ankles bound by chains, chains that his fire could not melt and destroy no matter how much he tried or how much energy he placed on them.

He could not understand why his father and his minions were keeping him alive. He was of no value to them. They already know that they cannot break him in their conventional means, which was torture, and they already know a way to extract this so-called 'Ancient Power' within him for their own personal use.

Yes. That was right. He could remember very well that time when the King, whom he had never had an audience with, suddenly barged into the torture chamber where he had spent most of his days in being whipped, punched, kicked and smirked at by different kinds of people on a daily basis.

_Flashback_.

_The cold, iron doors swung open, and several men in white armor with the Kingdom of Felis's crest engraved on their breastplate entered. All of them carrying long spears, as if anyone could possibly attack them in that room._

_The young bearer of the Ancient Power of Fire looked up, his eyes were already blurry with tears that are being held back. He didn't want to give these people the satisfaction that they want and crave from him. He was hoping that these guards would not stay long and that his daily dosage of torture would come to an end with him being thrown back to his cell. However, the next person who entered the darkly lit room with his father was someone he did not expect…the King himself, King Seraphim._

_"So," said the King, "you're that infamous son of my most trusted Commander."_

_Takuya didn't speak. He didn't want to. Instead, he just stared at the pale, unshaven face of the man who spoke._

_"I see they have also done their job in torturing you, and I have to say that I am quite impressed with your will, boy." The King went on, "Although, I do not understand why you would go to all the trouble of keeping your mouth shut rather than giving us the information that we asked for. Who are you fighting for? Those so-called friends of yours, who, up until now, have done nothing to save you?"_

_Takuya still said nothing. He just glared, and just for that, he was given another round of beating. When that was finished, the King went on._

_"I really don't see why your son would not see reason, Hiroaki." Droned the King. "You should have taught him to submit himself to his King."_

_"I deeply apologize for that, my Lord." Commander Kanbara said as he bowed his head. "It was his mother's, Yuriko's, belief that seemed to have sunk in to him. She had always had her own sense of belief that had always contradicted with ours."_

_"Then, it is a good thing that she is no longer with us then." The King said in a boorish voice._

_Takuya, not liking the fact that his beloved mother was being bad mouthed, did not hesitate to speak up in her defense and in his as well._

_"How dare you speak about my mother like that!" Takuya raised his voice. "You can do to me whatever you want, but don't you dare talk about her like that!"_

_"Defending someone who is already dead?" The King said. "You have a poor taste in whom you want to protect and stand up for."_

_"She may be dead, but at least she is worth standing up for rather than a King who cares for nothing but his own twisted plots." Takuya retorted._

_The whip cracked as it hit Takuya's back causing another wound._

_"You best learn some manners, boy." The torturer said._

_"Why? Is there someone here worth respecting?" came the another verbal blow from the young Kanbara followed by another round of beating._

_"You should learn to pick the right side, boy." The Kind said. "Follow your father's footprints, join us."_

_"I would rather die than become some dog in a leash." Takuya stated trying to make it sound loud and clear as he could._

_"Then you will die." King Seraphim assured him, and just before he went out of the torture chamber, he added. "And just so you know, Takuya, that was the last chance that I have decided to give you. We no longer require you alive, nor the other Chosen Ones, after all, we already found a means to extract your 'power'."_

_Takuya's eyes widen in surprise at those words as the King went on. "So in the end, you ended up not making any difference. We will still get what we want, and you will end up dead with nothing."_

_End of Flashback_

Takuya cursed under his breath. He wanted to do something, anything. But, what was there to do? He was the only one who knows that the King and his followers had already devised something that could, as the Kind had said 'extract' the Ancient Powers. Even if he wanted to send some form of message to the other Chosen Ones: Izumi and Tomoki, there was no way to do that without that message being intercepted.

"Damn it!" He said as he punched the dirty pavement. "If it weren't for these chains that hinders the full use of my power, I would have escaped from this place already."

He sighed.

There was no use. He had heard the guards speaking of his execution, which according to them, was quickly approaching. He could guess that it would happen any time soon. His time was running short.

Meanwhile, back at the Orimoto Mansion…

"It seems that, although we already have sufficient man power for this mission, it would most likely not happen." Came the bad news that they received from Kouichi's grandfather, who had just arrived via carriage after having a meeting with the rest of the Generals and the Royal Family.

"What do you mean, grandfather?" Kouichi asked.

General Kimura handed to them a piece of parchment which was signed by the King and his advisers, and in this parchment they read that Takuya's execution would not be done in a public manner, but rather in a 'secured environment'.

"What is this?" Junpei said agitated. "We've already made so much plans for this mission and this happens. What a waste of time for all that training."

"Could they really do something like this, father?" Izumi asked, her query directed to Commander Orimoto.

"I'm afraid so." The Commander replied. "He is after all, convicted as a traitor and the King knows of his ability, as you say, to conjure flames. Even if we were to intervene in this 'secured environment' thing, it would still prove futile."

"Then what are we going to do?" Tomoki asked. "We can't just leave him to die like that, he has done nothing wrong – in a sense."

"But the fact is, there is nothing we can't do, Tomoki." Spoke another member from the same tribe as Tomoki, his older brother, Yutaka.

"Don't say that, big brother!" Tomoki said.

"Let's face it, Tomoki." Kouji said siding with the older Himi. "Yutaka is right. Unless we break him out of his prison cell, then we might as well bid Takuya goodbye."

Silence filled the room.

Although Kouji, Junpei and Yutaka had already thrown in the towel, the others, however, were still trying their hardest to conjure another plan to rescue their friend.

"Kouichi, I know how you feel." The General spoke. "You and Takuya had been like brothers ever since you two met at the Academy, but I think it is time to let it go."

"How can you say that, Grandfather?" Kouichi asked. "Takuya's not just like a brother, or a friend to me, but he is also one of the Chosen Ones."

"He may be one of them, but if you think of it this way, Kouichi, if Takuya dies, they would not be able to use him and his power for creating that 'key' or whatever it is they are planning to do." Kouji pointed out.

"Even so, Kouji," Izumi began to say. "Sir Takuya is first and foremost an innocent man being held in captivity for rescuing both myself and Tomoki."

"It was his decision." Commander Orimoto stated. "No one forced him to do what he did, and we did not even see this coming. Let us just hope and pray that he doesn't suffer much more than he already had before he dies."

Izumi was dumbfounded. She could not believe what she was hearing, and she could not take it any longer. And so, she stormed out of the meeting room where they were all gathered and quickly marched towards her room, locking up the door in the process. Leaving the others with their heads bowed and in silence.

Izumi slumped on her bed. She didn't want to hear anymore of how they are just going to let this happen. It was not just because she had already developed some feelings for the man who is about to be executed, but also because this man was also the same man who didn't think twice of coming to her rescue, no matter if he was just thinking of his mission or not.

"There has to be another way, there just has to be…" Were the thoughts that rang in her head. "If only I can use whatever power they say I have as a Chosen One, then maybe I can rescue him myself."

She blinked at that thought and wondered why she could not do just that. After all, all she needs to do is be able to call upon this 'power', learn to control it and then use it to her advantage. But then it dawned to her, such a thing would take days, or even weeks, or even months and years of practice – a time that neither she nor Takuya has.

She could not help but hate herself for that. She wasn't strong enough when the time was needed, none of them were.

She could not help but wonder what Takuya would do if he was in her shoe and one of their friends were the one who was going to be executed. She could only guess that he would probably act before he think, much like how she guessed he did while they were together on that mission.

And as much as she did not wish to accept it, the truth began to sink in that there was really nothing more that they can do. And as it did, she could not help but shed tears for him before drifting off into an uneasy sleep.

_She was standing in the middle of a clearing overlooking the mountainous region of a familiar place. Somehow, she suddenly knew where it was…_

_"Harim…" she muttered as she gazed over at the beautiful scenery that was before her._

_She was in awe, but at the same time confused. Why does this place seem new yet at the same time familiar to her? She could not think of any answers to that. All she knew was that she felt right at home…_

_"It's amazing, isn't it?" Came a voice that she did not expect to hear._

_"Takuya." She said as she whirled around only to find that she was mistaken. For it was not "Takuya" who stood before her, but rather that same boy who had been haunting her dreams for so long as she could remember. Upon seeing that it was the boy, Izumi quickly muttered an apology. "I'm sorry, I thought you were somebody else."_

_The "boy" smiled._

_"You mean, this "Takuya" person?" He asked, looking directly at Izumi as she nodded, which made the boy's smile widen._

_"Tell me, what is this place? I have a feeling that I had been here before. I somehow know what it is called but I don't understand why since Takuya only mentioned of this place once." Izumi queried._

_"You don't need anyone to tell you more about this place nor to mention this place to you. Izumi." The boy said._

_"What do you…?" Izumi was about to ask, when a sudden force of wind blew causing Izumi to shield and close her eyes. When she opened them, she found herself _

_standing at the same place where her dreams always takes her to, and before her, was the scene that always played itself back._

_"What's going on?" She asked, hoping that the boy beside her would answer only to find that he was no longer there. She was about to give up asking questions when an unfamiliar voice answered her question._

_"This is the place where it all began," said the unknown female voice. "Well, for both of you, that is."_

_Izumi, surprised to hear someone talk as she watched the scene she had come to memorize play itself, wheeled around hoping to see someone standing behind her. But there was no one there._

_"You won't see me here, you know." The voice said as if reading Izumi's mind. "This place, this memory is something that is personal to you and for that you seemed to have place a barrier in it without knowing it."_

_"What are you talking about? Who are you?"_

_"That's not important…for now." Answered the voice. "I'm just doing 'him' a favor, and you as well...Even if it would already seem to late to do so."_

_"Who are you talking about?" Izumi asked, becoming more confused in the process._

_"You and that rash boy, of course." Said the voice as if it was that obvious to the young Orimoto._

_"You know who that boy is?" she asked._

_A laugh was the first reply followed by "Of course."_

_"Then who is he?" Izumi asked. She had wondered on the boy's identity for so long as she had had that dream shown to her._

_"You still hadn't figured that out? You two are really, pretty much the same. It took him ages to remember as well." The voice said then added. "Well, no point in dilly dallying then."_

_Another gust of wind blew, and when Izumi looked up it was the same scene only now, instead of the young girl, which was her, and the young boy who were talking it was her in her current 17-year-old body and when she looked over at who she was supposedly talking to, she was surprised to see Takuya._

_"Takuya?" She gasped. "How is that even possible? Is this even real?"_

_"Well, your reaction is to be expected. Yes, this scene, it isn't just your dream, it's a fragment of your memory in the past." The voice explained. "It's a very long story as to how you come to forget, but to summarize it, it's because both your father and his decided it to be for the best. But, unlike you who retained the memory of this time up to that promise, Takuya seemed to have forgotten everything including the promise he made to you. Although, he just recently remembered the part that you two are childhood friends."_

_"You've got to be kidding me," Izumi said as it all started to sink in. "This can't be real, I mean, this is just a dream. It's not that I don't like him to be Takuya, it's just that…this is a dream!"_

_"Well, this was the only way to talk to you without you looking like someone with a mental problem." The voice went on. "This is also the only way he can talk with you, something that he accidentally discovered today."_

_"He?"_

_As if on cue, another breeze blew changing the scenery once again._

_When Izumi opened her eyes for the third time, she found herself standing at a darkened place. The voice was gone. And there standing in front of her was Takuya himself._

_"It's been a while, Lady Izumi."_

_"Takuya?" She said. "Is this even real?"_

_"I found it hard to believe at first as well, but it is…It is real, all of this." Takuya replied, a sad smile plastered on his face. "I hope you are doing well, my lady."_

_"Cut the formalities, Takuya." Izumi said, her eyes averting his gaze. "I already know…"_

_Takuya could not help but laugh. "It's unbelievable, isn't it? How fate is able to play us both like that…who would have guessed it."_

_"How can you laugh like that?" Izumi asked. "You're going to be executed!"_

_"That's something I was hoping would not come soon, but…" Takuya was about to say, but quickly changed the topic remembering what it was he really needed to say. "Izumi, I won't be able to tell this to anyone any more, but seeing as your father is against mine, I would have to trust you and your father to do something about this. I don't want my death to end in vain."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"The King and his minions, they already found a way to extract the Ancient Powers from their hosts." Takuya replied. "I don't know how they came to that knowledge, but, whether I do what they say or not, I will end up dead anyway and my power, the Power of Fire, would end up in their hands. You can't stop that from happening, but you can save the others who are like us."_

_"Like…us?"_

_"Well, seeing as how you were also able to connect to this world where dreams and reality exist, it only means that you are like me, a bearer of the Ancient Power. Well, it's not like I need to explain it to you, since I am guessing you already know that."_

_Silence was what came after that. A silence which was only just momentary._

_"This is so frustrating, Takuya." Izumi suddenly said as she looked up to him. "I finally found out that you were the same boy I had been dreaming about for a while now, but…I don't know what to do, I just can't leave you to die like that."_

_Takuya walked forward and touched her face, wiping away the tears that flowed down on her cheeks._

_"I know." Takuya said. "But I don't want you to do anything stupid just to come to my rescue, Izumi. You can't bust me out of this place, if you try you will just end up in deep trouble as well as everyone else, including your father."_

_"But, it's my fault why you are in such a predicament." Izumi sobbed. "If it wasn't for me…you'd still be free. I can't help but wish that we never met, because then, maybe, you won't be in so much trouble as you are now."_

_Takuya caressed her face as he spoke. "I don't regret ever meeting you, and I never will. No matter what happens, Izumi…no matter where this leads, I will always, always protect you."_

_Just then, the world began to shake._

_"What's going on?" Izumi asked._

_"Someone must be waking either one of us up." Takuya said then added. "Remember, remember to tell them that the King already has a way to extract the Ancient Powers. Find a way to stop him, Izumi."_

_"I will, Takuya." Izumi said. "But you have to promise me that you will find a way to escape from there, you just can't die."_

_Takuya nodded. And just before he vanished, he spoke the three words that Izumi never had thought to hear._

_"I love you."_

In the real world, as Izumi lay asleep, a tear fell down as she muttered the same three words despite knowing that he would not be able to hear her.

**To be Continue…**

**[A/N:**

That certainly took a lot of effort to make, and a lot of pages as well. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it. I would really appreciate it if you would all take some time to write me a review of this story since I want to know if you guys are still enjoying yourselves reading this.

Well, that's about all for today. I still have a documentation for out theses to finish. So until the next update, Take Care!


	19. Funeral March and the New Sunset

**A ****Digimon**** Frontier ****Fanfic**

**By: Sakura Martinez (****a.k.a****Haru**** Glory)**

[**A/N**:

Well, although I finally earned my school break, which if two weeks, I still find myself with loads of things that need catching up. One of those things is this fanfic, which all of you are just kind enough to continue on supporting, another one of the many is the Digimon Frontier game that I am currently at the early stages of.

Anyway, seeing as how you guys must have waited for this new chapter, I won't be dilly-dallying any longer, so here it is! Hope you guys enjoy reading it!

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Funeral March and the New Sunset**

Takuya squinted his eyes as he was kicked awake by a white-armored knight. He cursed this particular knight who had cut his conversation with Izumi short.

He recalled the last words he had spoken to her and desperately wondered what her answer would be – whether she feels the same way or not. He did not wish to think that his life would soon end; He did not wish to think that this was how far he and Izumi would go; He did not wish to think that that was his farewell to her; He did not wish to think any of those things which kept on weighing down his heart.

He was happy, though, to have spoken to Izumi, even if it was for the last time for even though he and Izumi could now meet in their dreams, such "world creation", as what his "other self" had told him, could only be done during full moon and Takuya well understood that he would not live to wait for another full moon to occur.

"Get up, boy." The knight said. "You have a lot in stored for you today."

Takuya could have sworn that by how that knight said it, that knight would be smirking underneath his helmet. He sighed, and with an aching and tired, beat up body, he stood up.

"If it weren't for these chains, I could have simmered you already." Takuya thought to himself as he followed the knight down the hallway.

Takuya was surprised that instead of taking the route that they frequently took, he was led to the stairs leading to a second underground dungeon. As he and the knight continued to venture down this unknown place, Takuya could not help but feel that whatever it was that was in stored for him was certainly not the usual beating.

Sure enough, when they entered the door at the farthest end of the hallway, Takuya was greeted by test tubes, cylinders, experimental tables and all sorts of laboratory equipment. And for the first time in a long time, he felt afraid as the doors closed behind him and he was left alone with the King and a couple of other scientists…

Izumi woke up with a start, feeling refreshed from her slumber. She smiled remembering the dream that she had, a dream that she new was real. Yet, the smile on her face was a sad one for what had happened in her dream was not what she had wanted their goodbye to be.

"I guess what they say about people never getting their first love is true." She thought to herself sadly.

At that point, she was suddenly reminded by the words that he had spoken beforehand.

_Remember,__ remember to tell them that the King already has a way to extract the Ancient Powers. Find a way to stop him, Izumi._

"That's right!" She said as she stood upright. "I promised to tell the others about that, and in return he promised that he will find a way to escape."

She smiled, this time a smiled filled with hope. He had promised it and she believed in him, he was after all, Takuya. And with that in mind, she headed down to her father's study, seriousness flooding out of her.

Commander Orimoto was surprised when he saw his daughter come into his study so early in the morning.

"We can't continue arguing about Kanbara's son, Izumi." The Commander began, thinking that the seriousness that his daughter had about her has something to do with them giving up on the rescue plan.

"That's not what I came here to talk about father." Izumi cut her old man off.

"It isn't?" Came the confusion-toned query. "Then what is it you have in mind, I assume it is quite important what with that look on your face."

Izumi looked directly at her father's eyes before she began speaking. "Father, it seems that the King does not plan on capturing the Chosen Ones to use them in obtaining whatever this _key _is."

"What makes you say that, Lady Izumi?" Came the General Kimura's voice as he entered the room. "I was just about to tell the Commander that I will be on my way back to the Southern Command Fortress."

"Father, remember when you told me that you are unsure whether I really am one of the ten Chosen Ones despite the fact that I have a mark?" Izumi asked her father, and when she saw him nod at that, she went on. "Well, it seems that I am one of them, although I can't use any special ability yet."

"Why are you telling us this, Izumi?" the Commander asked.

"Because, I just learned about something from Takuya." Izumi said.

The adults looked at her with confusion.

"You learned something from Sir Kanbara?" General Kimura asked. "Are you saying that you managed to talk to him?"

Izumi nodded, then proceeded to explain.

"It seems that we have the ability to visit other people through their dreams, by creating a world that is between the dream world and the real world, Takuya was able to communicate with me, and he told me very disturbing news. It would appear that the King and his minions would not actually need to keep a Chosen One alive even if they need our power."

"I understand the possibility that the Chosen Ones could use the ancient art of Dream-Walking, but no matter how I can think of it, I see no reason why they would not want to care about the wellbeing of a fragment of what they need." Commander Orimoto said.

"It has something to do with why Takuya's execution date would come earlier than expected, right?" the General added.

Izumi nodded. "Takuya told me that the King had already found a way to extract _our_ power. He said that it was the King himself who told him of this."

"Extracting the Ancient Spirits from the Chosen Ones? I have never heard of such a thing!" General Kimura exclaimed.

"But that is what the King had said." Izumi stated bluntly. "I promised Takuya that I would let that information be known as it seemed that the King himself failed to think that Takuya would be able to share that information with others."

Silence filled the room as the two adults began to think of something up.

"Did he mention anything else about this 'extracting' business?" Commander Orimoto asked.

Izumi shook her head. "Nothing else."

"We can't do anything without knowing how they plan on extracting the Ancient Spirits from its host." Commander Orimoto said and the General agreed with him.

"Father, can I ask something that has been bothering me lately?" Izumi asked and her father nodded. "Felis is only one of the Kingdoms in Frontiria is it not? Then why don't we ask for help from the other Kingdoms?"

"Except for the Queendom of Sol whose leader is Queen Farah, a distant cousin of King Seraphim, all the other Kingdoms are after the title of 'most powerful', one word of the internal conflict occurring at our Kingdom, would send them all to attack us, and we cannot afford a war with another Kingdom at the moment." General Kimura stated. "Although, we can try asking for assistance from Queen Farah, we still do not know if she will lend us aide, after all, she still thinks of King Seraphim as family and she is close friends with Queen Ophania, the King's wife."

"And we can't take the risks involved in asking for her assistance, she may be in leagued with the King after all." The Commander pointed out.

"Then how are we supposed to find out more about the extraction process?" Izumi asked.

The adults look at each other and nodded.

"I'll return to the Southern Command Fortress and try to get hold of one of my men inside the King's dungeon." The General said. "I'll let you all know of what transpired from that afterwards."

Commander Orimoto and his daughter both nodded. "As for me, I'll contact the elders from Harim and try to get one of them to teach Izumi how to take full control of her powers."

And with that, the General took his leave.

"And so it begins…" Tomoki thought as he turned around from where he had overheard their conversation to tell the others of what he had found out.

Takuya found his head swirling as he was thrown back at his cell. He felt weakened despite the fact that it was only the initial extraction process that he had undergone.

"If this is only just the beginning, I don't think I would like to live up to the day when they ultimately take out the Ancient Power within me." Takuya muttered to himself. "I really have to find a way out of here."

The darkened surroundings of unknown location, two figures, both cloaked began to converse with one another.

"They have already began, my lady." Said the taller figure, with a female voice.

"I see." Said the other cloaked figure, who also possessed a female voice. "How far have they gone then?"

"Not that far." Replied the taller one. "It seems they have only finished the first phase."

"It is our fault that they learned of the three phases, it is only right that we make things right, wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course."

"Then you already know what you have to accomplish, do you not?"

A nod was given by the taller figure.

"Make sure that no one figures out the connection, and be hasty, if they have already finished the first phase, then they would surely begin the second one in a hurry. Their time is running short, after all."

"You have nothing to worry about, my Lady."

And with that the taller figure vanished with a puff of smoke.

Half a day has already passed since Takuya was brought to the Underground Laboratory, and although so much time has passed since then, his body still has yet to regain the energy it has lost.

Even though he wanted so badly to rest, the dread of having to return back to that room haunted him even as he closed his eyes.

Even if it was just a fraction that was taken from him, it would seem that his captors are competent that he would be unable to escape for they have already removed the shackles that once bound his arms and his legs.

"It would have been great if I am able to run or even move, then I could easily escape from this place." He thought to himself. "I guess, no matter what I do, only a miracle would allow me to escape from this damn place."

As those thoughts exited his mind, he heard a grunt, probably from the guard who was in charge of his cell. Takuya looked over at the iron-barred door, wondering what must have happened. That was when the door to his cell opened, and a cloaked figure entered.

"It's typical that they would keep you in a place like this, Takuya Kanbara." The cloaked one said earning her a confused look from Takuya.

"Who are you?" He asked quickly.

"A friend whose introduction would have to be cut short since we cannot talk here." Came the reply, after which, she moved close to him, place a hand on his chest, closed her eyes and muttered an incantation.

Takuya did not know what it was that she said, but he could care less as he was suddenly filled with ecstasy as his body became lighter and he felt a million times better.

"That should do it." She said. "It was foolish of them to think that they could keep you in here without the aid of those chains."

"Thanks." Takuya said, unsure of what was going on.

"Now, we should hurry with our escape." Was the only thing that the cloaked woman said before they stood up and proceeded with their escape.

They sneaked past guard after guard, making sure not to make any excessive noises that would hinder their escape. As they crawled, ducked, sneaked past the King and Commander Kanbara's guards, Takuya could not help but wonder who this person leading his escape is.

After finally what seemed like forever, Takuya finally smelled fresh air, stepped on barren land and felt free as he stretched forth his arms up in the sky.

"Now that that is taken care of, we have to make it seem like you did not escape at all." Said the woman.

"What are you saying? There's no way they'll think that when they see an empty cell." Takuya said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You make it sound like _we_ have not planned any of this at all, Takuya." The cloaked one said matter-of-factly. "You see, I'm not alone in this mission, I've got people to back me up, and those people have special abilities just like you and me, and one of them can create shadow clones and mirages…a very useful trick if you ask me."

"We?" Takuya asked. "Alright, what's going on? Who are you and who do you work for?"

"We'll explain everything later, for now…" And with that, the cloaked one raised her hand and rain started to fall. "…this should signal him to create that mirage clone."

"Why do you need a clone like that for?" Takuya asked as they continued to walk hiding behind trees and bushes to meet with the others that the mysterious one spoke of.

"To make them see and think that you have died in that experiment of theirs." Came the reply. "That way, they would not suspect anything that has to do with you."

"That's brilliant!" Takuya said. "Finally, I can go back to Izumi and the others."

The woman stopped.

"What's wrong?" Takuya asked, confused.

"We will not be going to the direction of the Orimoto Mansion, and you will not be seeing her." Said the woman whose back was still turned from Takuya. "Your communication with them will be terminated as a precaution."

"What?" Takuya exclaimed. "What for?"

"Don't you think it foolish, after us planning this through, for you just go and meet with the people who are highly to be targeted next?" the woman pointed out. "You will jeopardize not just what we are working hard to achieve but everything else that goes along with it."

"Do you expect me to just sit around like that and watch them think that I am dead or something?"

"Yes. I, no, WE expect you to do just that."

And that was that, the woman who had saved him said no more as she continued to lead him to the _others_. Stunned and in disbelief, Takuya followed.

Two days have passed since Takuya escaped. Two days have passed since he was rescued by the cloaked woman, whom he now knew was a woman by the name of Chiaki, a ninja from the Hidden Waterfall Village of Frontiria, along with her companions. Two days since Takuya's mirage clone was found by one of the guards. Two days since everyone believed that he was dead.

Takuya looked at the bright sky that spread before him as he lay thinking about all sorts of things at the fields of the Hidden Waterfall Village.

He could not help but think of how Izumi might have reacted to the news and how she might be feeling now. He had heard from one of the ninjas living at the said village that the Commander, his father, was going to give _him_ a proper burial tomorrow. He could not help but detest that idea, burying a clone that would soon vanish.

"I bet they must've been shocked when they found that dead mirage clone that night." Takuya thought to himself. He could almost imagine the frustrated looks on his father and the King's faces, that thought made him grin at a moment.

Over the course of two days, he had learned a great deal of what was really happening in the world. Something that he had sworn never to tell anyone until the time was right. And all those things that he was told suddenly crept back at his thoughts and he shuddered.

"I was wondering where you went." Came the now familiar voice of Chiaki.

"Oh, it's just you." Came the boorish reply.

"Why? Don't tell me you expect to see Commander Orimoto's daughter suddenly here, although that is not unlikely since we can always ask Katsuharu for a mirage clone for that."

"No thanks. I'm not very fond of those things." Takuya stated.

This has become a common occurrence in the days that had gone by. He would sneak out of the room which was generously given to him, and she would go looking for him and once she found him, she would comment on something regarding his feelings for Izumi and he would reply to such comments nonchalantly. It had become a routine.

"So, I heard that your father would be giving 'you' a burial tomorrow." Chiaki said as she sat down beside him. "That's something quite unbelievable and unexpected."

"I think the old man's just trying to save face, after all, everyone is expecting that he still has paternal feelings for his son." Takuya said as he continued to stare at the shape shifting clouds. "After all, people still believed that I was one of the most promising knights."

"I think they threw that thinking away when they heard you broke into Ygdrassil." Chiaki pointed out to him. "Do you still think that such a risk was worth it?"

Takuya closed his eyes for a couple of seconds before opening them again and standing up.

"If there is one thing in my life that I don't regret, that's risking everything just to save Izumi." Takuya said with a distant look and a smile on his face. "I don't think I would ever forgive myself if she had been left alone to deal with what I dealt with. Besides, to some extent, without knowing it, I think I proved to her that I can fulfill promises."

"Promises?" She asked.

"The Rabbit on the Moon? Ever heard of it?" Takuya asked.

Chiaki nodded. "That's the one where when you are in trouble and you wish at a full moon where you can see a silhouette of a rabbit, someone would likely rescue you, right?"

Takuya nodded back. "I promised that I would come to her aid and make her happy when she's sad…that was back when we were still young. And I know I was able to fulfill that promise."

Chiaki smiled. "That's good to hear then."

That day went by with nothing much to do for Takuya except keep his skills in shape and regain his composure.

The next day…

The Village bell resounded with urgency. Ninjas came running out of their houses and their rooms to answer to the call.

"I can't believe it," Katsuharu said, annoyed. "that's why I told you not to trust him completely and lock him up somewhere. I knew that this was going to happen."

"We rescued Takuya from that cell and you expect me to throw a fellow Chosen One and lock him up again?" Chiaki asked then added. "Besides, he isn't completely and fully recovered yet, he couldn't have gotten far."

"Let's hope for that, for both our sakes." Katsuharu stated bluntly. "The Master would not be pleased if she finds out that he had run off."

And with that Katsuharu left with a puff of smoke leaving Chiaki to think of any possible places where Takuya would have gone to.

"Now you did it, Takuya." She thought to herself.

Takuya watched at a distance as people gave their final respects to what they thought were him. He saw many familiar faces from the academy and some whom he could not recall who they were. As he watched the crowed, he scanned everyone of them, hoping to find Izumi – to see hear and maybe even talk with her if luck would have it.

He had thought it through the night before and no matter how he think of it, he could not find it in himself to just let Izumi cry at an empty grave nor to let her even think, like the others do, that he was already dead.

"She may not believe me, but I have to at least try." He thought to himself. "I made her a promise, a promise that I would find a way to escape and although I wasn't able to escape by myself, I still am alive and well."

He waited and waited until finally the crowd had thinned down into nothing. He was about to give up and return to the Hidden Waterfall Village when Izumi finally showed up, she was wearing a sort of disguise in the form of a hat and a long robe, but Takuya still recognized her despite of it.

He smiled. Finally, there she was.

Takuya was about to emerge from his hiding place and confront her, when out of nowhere, Chiaki appeared to stop him from doing so.

"What do you think you are doing?" Chiaki asked with a death glare aimed at Takuya. "Did you not understand anything we have told you before? You cannot just go waltzing over there and talking to her."

"What do you know? You don't know how I feel inside." Takuya stated aiming the same death glare at the person who was standing in front of him. "I have to talk to her, no, I NEED to talk to her."

"No matter what, I can't let you go meet with her much less talk with her." Chiaki said. "You have already caused our village enough trouble by sneaking out; don't add any more to it."

Takuya did not care about what she was saying nor what she was about to say. He chose to be hardheaded as he continued to walk towards Izumi's direction. Chiaki, however, would not let things go his way as she caught his arm and held on to it with her hands. Her grip at him was hard that it managed to hurt Takuya.

"Do you want her to die, Takuya Kanbara? Is that what you want? For her to be labeled a traitor when the King's men see you meeting up with her here?" Chiaki asked. "That's what they will think. They will think that Izumi was the one who planned all of this, that she and her father as well as all of your friends were responsible for you still being alive. The King would not hesitate to put them all in prison, torture them and finally experiment on them just like what they did to you. You know that."

Takuya kept quiet as his gaze was still planted on the one that he loves the most.

"You have to understand, Takuya, what we are doing, we're doing it for you, for them and for everyone else." Chiaki said. "Now tell me that you still plan on heading towards her and letting the King's Knights as well as your father's knights see both of you there. Just so you know, though you may not see them from where we are, the King and your father has already stationed their people around here."

As she said those things, rain began to fall. And from where Izumi Orimoto was standing, a powerful wind blew – a wind that carried heaviness and sadness in them.

On Takuya Kanbara's perspective, he saw, as the rain came pouring down the tears that mixed with it rushing down Izumi's face.

Both their heads were down after that, as they both looked on the ground beneath them with the rain still pouring down on them and everything else until Izumi finally left leaving Takuya and Chiaki still standing from where they were hiding.

"You did the right thing Takuya." Was all Chiaki could say as she let go of her grasp.

-----------------------

**To be ****Continued****…**

------------------------

[**A/N:**

Well, that certainly did take a lot out of me, but am I glad I finished this chapter in time.

Anyway, I forgot to say thanks to those who gave me websites on where I could find Frontier stuffs that I had asked for before. But now it seems that I am once again stuck in my spriting part of the game since I find it hard searching for images of the Spirit Shinker's family, so if anyone would be kind enough to lend a hand, let me know and I'll be sure to include you at my game's credits

Well, anyway, this is as far as I can write today, so until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying PEACE and signing out!


	20. Song of the Warrior

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)**

**A/N:**

Okay, so I may have a vague idea as to what you are all thinking (like: "What took you so long?" Or "Finally an update!") and before all else, I apologize for the umpth time since I started writing this fanfic.

I would have chosen to update earlier but what with so many projects and some personal life issues that came along my way, as well as that annoying writer's block (which, thankfully, had passed) I could not find time or energy to write anything.

But, thankfully, all that has passed now and I am back and in full gear ready to update as frequently as I could (provided that school work does not interfere yet again).

Anyway, I have tarried far too long, and so, without further delays, here is the latest chapter to Rabbit on the Moon. Hope you all enjoy the fruit of my hard labor, lol!

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Song of the Warrior**

* * *

Six months have passed since everyone believe Takuya Kanbara to be dead. Six long months since Takuya, who was hidden from view, looked over at the woman whom he loved, unable to do anything as he believed it to be the right thing to do – to only watch Izumi Orimoto from a distance.

In six months, a lot of things have already happened…

In the past months after the funeral, the King ordered a mass search for those whom he believed to have the special 'gift' that Takuya 'had'. Of course, the King did this in secret, making false accusations to those people whom they believed were one of the Chosen Ones.

They did this, for having not completed the process of extraction on Takuya, had taken a heavy toll on the plans of the twisted King. The DNA that they had was incomplete and so was the power that that DNA held.

The opposing force led by the Commander Orimoto and General Kimura, of course, knew of the King's plans before hand thanks to a mysterious letter that was sent to them two weeks after the funeral. And so, they were able to make preparations for the safe guarding of the Chosen Ones that are under their care, namely, Izumi and Tomoki.

They knew that the King's men had a vague idea of who are possible Chosen Ones, and among their list are those two people.

But knowledge alone was not enough and so was the number of people who rallied to their cause. After all, who would believe at that day and age of Chosen Ones, Ancient Ones and mystical powers? Much less of how drastically the King has changed, for the people believed that the iron-fist of the King in ruling his Kingdom was a good thing, what with all the 'criminals' being apprehended. Of course, they knew naught that those so-called criminals, were innocent.

Uprisings occurred throughout Felis, though. For those who did believe in the innocence of those who were suddenly apprehended voiced out their concerns.

Soon after that, a civil war occurred. The other Kingdoms and Queendom surrounding Felis, only watched and did nothing to aid the Kingdom, whilst some began to plan of an invasion while the Kingdom of Felis was in chaos.

It was a sad time in Felis. As Village upon Village, Cities upon Cities, and Towns upon Towns were raided by the Black-clad Knights, some of these places being laid to waste while they searched for Chosen Ones. Among the places that was scorched to the ground were Harim, Guara and Grand City.

However, it wasn't just bad tidings that Takuya's supposed funeral brought, for just before Harim's destruction, Izumi, who had been sent there to learn how to control whatever Ancient Power she had, finally managed to do so.

As it happens, she possessed the power, gentleness and swiftness of Wind. The power that the Elders of Harim told her, belonged to the Ancient One they referred to as the Goddess Yuzuki.

When Harim, the only place that Izumi's father thought was her and Tomoki's refuge, was destroyed, the Commander as well as the General Kimura decided it best to secretly ship the two to another Kingdom together with Junpei, Kouichi, and Kouji.

At first, they decided that the Kingdom of Draken was the best choice, but after learning that refugees were no longer allowed in the said Kingdom, they had no choice but to send them to the Queendom of Sol, where the five of them hid and lived their lives as normal as they could.

* * *

The present day… 

Queendom of Sol

Izumi looked out over her bedroom's window at the bustling city of Solaria where she and her companions were currently situated. It was raining heavily, giving her the feeling of that day when she stood to say her goodbyes at Takuya's grave.

She remembered the first few weeks where she thought everything was just a bad dream and that he was still alive somewhere. She could not accept it in her heart that the person whom she had been looking for and waiting for all those years was dead. She could not accept the fact that she learned of his real identity, as the boy whom she was friends with when they were little, too late. And she hoped that he would visit her dreams saying that he was alive and doing well. But, her hopes soon faded and she began to accept the truth – he was dead.

Izumi looked over at the darkened sky. She hated it. She hated the rain as much as she hated thinking about him on days like this.

She wished that she could just move on with her life, but there was always something hindering her. Something telling her that it wasn't over yet. She did not know what it was, or who it was that keeps on telling her this…but whatever it was, it was stronger than her will to forget him and move on.

She sighed. "This really is not how I decided to spend my afternoon. If I continue like this, Tomoki and the others will be worried again…"

"Well, even if you do hide how you're really feeling inside from them, they're bound to still be worried, you know." came a female voice. "They're always worried about you when it rains."

Izumi sighed once again and concentrated, as she did, a figure of a fairy appeared next to her.

"You shouldn't speak so freely like that, Kaizen." Izumi said. "If someone looks over here and sees you, they will certainly think differently of me and of the others and they might even hand us over to Felis."

Kazen the fairy-looking creature shrugged. "You worry too much, Izumi. How many times do I have to tell you that no one else can see us Spirit Guardians but the person we are guarding and your fellow Chosen Ones."

"But still," Izumi said. "you never know if those fellow Chosen Ones you speak of are allies or enemies. It pays to be careful too."

"Fine…" Kaizen replied before turning herself invisible.

Izumi could still remember clearly the surprise when, after completing her training, she found herself being followed by a winged creature that looked like those fairies that she had read about as a child.

At first, she thought that she was being haunted by some spirit. But after talking to one of the Elders about it, she learned that it was her Spirit Guardian that was following her.

Spirit Guardians, as she was told, were beings created by the memories of the Ancient Ones and the past generations of Chosen Ones which have materialized themselves and with the wishes of the Ancient Ones, protects the bearers of their power both physically and mentally.

She of course wondered why Takuya's Spirit Guardian, whoever that guardian is, did nothing to help him. She did found the explanation to that from the Elders as well. It seems that Spirit Guardians only appear when a Chosen One, a bearer of the Powers of the Ancients are capable of controlling the said powers completely…and as it seems, Takuya still has a lot to learn of it.

"Well, I hope you're comfortable like this, Izumi." Kaizen said. "I mean, people might think you're crazy or something when they see you seemingly talking to yourself like this."

"Well then, I would just have to act as if I am not talking to myself, right? That's easier than having to explain myself when people see you hovering around me." Izumi answered.

"If you say so…Anyway, you should really try and get over that guy, Takuya."

Silence was Izumi's reply to the winged one. A silence which, overtime, Kaizen understood meant that Izumi did not wish to talk about it any longer.

As Kaizen returned to her duties of scanning the whole city and being wary of all signs pertaining to danger, she could not help but feel another pair of presence not too far from their location. It would not have interested her so, if not for the small fact that the energies emitting from these two are similar to that of a Guardian and their Master.

Kaizen kept quiet about it, she didn't want to alarm or even make her Master, the person she was guarding to think much about it and add it to her own set of 'unsolved mysteries'.

"If only I am able to transform to my complete form, I can sense what spirit it is and who the Spirit Guardian is." She thought to herself, then added, "And whether they are a friend or a foe…"

Meanwhile, several houses and buildings away from the apartment that Izumi and her entourage rented, another group managed to snag rooms for themselves in a hotel as they sought refuge from the downpour of rain.

This quartet, who are soaked wet from head to toe were composed of two males and two females. All were dressed in foreign warrior's clothing and a hooded cloak that covered what they wore overall.

"We were lucky that the person who hired us managed to reserve rooms for us." A man with light-brown colored hair said as he took off his cloak, grabbed some towels and proceeded handing them to his companions. "I was kind of hoping that she would at least let us sleep in one of their manor's guest rooms."

"We would have if you haven't turned her invitation down, Captain." Said a younger man with a darker brown-colored hair than the first and who was also wearing a pair of glasses on his face.

The latter one, whom the other man was talking to was already drying his hair when he retorted. "I can't just go on ahead and accept her invitation, though it was graciously offered. We have a rule, after all, Teppei, not to accept anything unless our mission is already done and finished with such brilliance as that of a shining sun."

"There you go with your poetics again, Katsuharu." Chiaki said as she entered the room, apparently hearing what the older man had said.

The Captain of the entourage, Katsuharu, just grinned at what she said and brushed her comment off.

Katsuharu then went over to Chiaki and asked. "Is he really this sentimental on rainy days such as this?"

Chiaki nodded solemnly, then proceeded to explain what she knows in a low whisper so that the person in question might not be able to hear them. "It was on a rainy day like this that he had to watch that girl and separate himself from her without even so much as a word nor without giving her the knowledge that he still lives after all."

"And the person who stopped him from even hugging that person for the last time was you, wasn't it, Chiaki?" Teppei said without bothering to whisper.

"Teppei!" Chiaki hissed. "Don't you care if he hears us or not. What we're doing is actually pretty rude, you know and isn't really thought of as something ethical."

Teppei snorted, "As if he's actually listening to us. Just look at his blank face staring over the window. If there's anyone else who can hear us, it's his Spirit Guardian, not him."

Takuya stood at the other side of the room, staring at the cityscape that stretched as far as the eyes can see with the rain pouring down from the darkened heavens above. His face showed no emotion what-so-ever. His hair, which had been cut short in an attempt to give him a new spiky hairstyle, was ruffled after having dried it with the towel that still rested above his head.

Not bothering to change his clothes like the rest of his companions, he instead began to heat himself up using his own power. Using it without burning his clothes, in other words, simply using the fire's heat to dry his clothes.

His face no longer showed the boisterous Takuya, but the more mature, and slightly mysterious one.

And hovering on his right side was none other than his Spirit Guardian, Flayhm.

Flayhm, the Spirit Guardian of Fire looked like a miniature monkey with a flaming main and tail. He/It wore an black, sleeveless jacket with the emblem of fire embedded on its back. Flayhm also bore markings on his face, down on his left and right cheek.

"You do realize that the trio is starting to talk about you and your past again, don't cha, Takuya." Flayhm spoke to him using telekinesis.

Takuya's expression remained unchanged as he spoke with his guardian through his mind. "It doesn't matter, what they say no longer affects me, Flayhm."

"Yeah, right." Came the sarcastic remark from the guardian. "Ya know what, Takuya, for someone who's supposed to be carrying the 'Will of Fire', yours seems put out."

All the flying creature received was a grunt, nothing more.

"Damn, you're no longer one to hold a conversation." Flayhm said in an annoying tone. "Ya know what, I could not help but wish that you didn't do such a blunder as getting yourself caught by your father's men. Then maybe you're still with Izumi all cheerful."

"You're not the only person who wishes that, Flayhm." Takuya assured his guardian. "There hasn't been a single day in my life since the funeral that I had wished the same. If only they hadn't placed a barrier to stop me from being able to communicate with Izumi in our dreams, then maybe things could be a little different."

Flayhm busied himself with doing cartwheels in the air while listening to Takuya.

"Well, you need to be much stronger if you're planning on breaking the seal, otherwise, you can just wish that thought goodbye." Flayhm reminded him. "Unless of course, you plan on killing these three who placed that seal on you in the first place."

Takuya turned a gaze towards his three companions who were still huddled up in the middle of the room, caught up with their own gossips and he knew full well who the topic was once again.

His eyes, Flayhm noticed, suddenly changed as if he was thinking that idea through is head.

"Hey, hey!" Flayhm cut his thoughts off, "I was only joking about that idea! So don't you even think about doing a massacre in this room!"

Takuya grunted and closed his eyes yet again. A sign that the little flying creature believed to have been an affirmation of him listening to his guardian.

Cutting the link between their minds, Flayhm did so in order to have a moment to think for himself.

_"If those guys from the organization don't realize what they're doing to this kid soon, he might end up as a Rogue like the other one__…and it could spell disaster not just for their safety, but for the safety of the whole word as well."_

The wind blew into the room and Takuya closed his eyes, feeling the wind touch his tanned skin.

"The wind." he thought to himself whilst his eyes were still closed. "That's all that connects me to her, that's the only thing allowed from her to touch me…the only thing from her that I could feel now."

He remembered that day when he learned that Izumi possessed the power of the wind – that gentle yet potentially powerful force of nature. He remembered thinking to himself how much it suited her personality, her temperament, her very being. He began to remember the day when he learned that Izumi had been training under the elders of Harim in order for her to fully awaken and control her dormant powers as a Chosen One.

If it wasn't for the mission from the Organization that he received on the day that he learned of her training, he would have proceeded there and watched her at a distance. Being her knight even from far away.

He could not help but wonder what had become of Izumi. He had not heard any news from the Council of the Organization of the whereabouts of the other Chosen Ones, particularly her, ever since the attack at Harim. And inside him, he could not help but feel a tinge of worry.

Yet, somehow, his worries concerning that matter seem to dissolve at an instant, as if a force was telling him not to fret on her safety.

He pressed his hand on his chest, his fists balled up as he opened his eyes. His brow was furrowed and when Flayhm saw him, he knew that the young man was angered.

"It won't work, Takuya." The flaming Spirit Guardian said. "That seal won't come off no matter how much pressure you put into it or how much of your energy you try to use to break it. If you force it to release itself, it could only cause negative side effects on you. You can lose your ability as a Chosen One or worst…"

"I could die, right?" Takuya finished. "You've already told me that, and even if I wanted, with all my heart, to try and do just that, I would not risk it. I still believe that I will be able to meet her once again."

"Then what is it you're afraid of?"

Takuya did not bother to answer at that point, he simply turned around and took his cloak as he walked towards the door.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Came Teppei's voice.

"Outside, what does it look like? Or am I not even allowed to walk around the city freely?" Takuya retorted, staring coldly at the man who questioned him. "If that is the case, then I would have chosen that you and your Organization did not bother to free me from the King's and my father's grasp…even if that had eventually ended with me being dead."

"Damn you!" Teppei said and he was about to teach Takuya a lesson when Katsuharu stopped him.

"Let it go, Teppei."

"But, Captain…!"

"You can go, Takuya." Katsuharu said. "Just don't cause any trouble here in this city, and try to avoid using your power _if_ you manage to end up in trouble since it would only cause an even greater problem for us."

Takuya did not give a hint as to whether he heard what Katsuharu said, instead, he went on out of the door and closing it behind him.

"Someone has to teach that punk a lesson or two." Teppei said as Takuya closed the door.

"And you think you're the one to do just that?" Chiaki snorted. "Oh please, he already defeated you once, don't try hurting your pride any more than you already have."

Teppei just gritted his teeth. He knew better than to argue any further what with Katsuharu around.

Takuya sighed to himself. He knew that he would probably get it later from Katsuharu, like all the other times when he simply did not abide by the rules and conduct given by the Organization.

"Where do you plan on going, Takuya?" Flayhm asked.

"No where in particular." Takuya replied. "I wasn't planning on going farther than the bench we saw earlier on our way here. Oh, and Flayhm, can you lay low for until we return to the room? I don't want to seem like a freak talking or even mumbling to himself while we're out here."

"I hear ya." Was the spirit guardian's final words before vanishing into the air.

"Thanks." Takuya muttered to him before he vanished.

It took half an hour before Takuya finally managed to find the bench that he was referring to have seen on their way to the inn. He was lucky that the bench had an umbrella over it to shelter him from the rain as he sat down and took out a rectangular object from his pocket.

He looked at the Harmonica which he was holding with his right hand. It was the only thing that was salvaged from his belongings when they tried to break in and enter at the Kanbara Manor late one night.

He smiled silently to himself as he placed the instrument on his mouth and began to play a music that would be familiar to anyone who was from the small village of Harim.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be alright going out by yourself?" Kouji asked, a tone of worry in his voice. "I know you've grown stronger and are able to defend yourself, Lady Izumi, but we cannot be too sure that the enemy is not within our midst." 

"Don't worry, Kouji." Izumi said in a reassuring manner. "I'm not going to go and spread word that our group is seeking refuge here. Besides, if you keep me locked up in my room, it would only depress me even more."

"Then let me accompany you at least." Kouji insisted.

"No, don't bother." Izumi insisted as well. "Besides, if Kouichi and the other return after their errand and find no one here, they might think that something had happened to us and that we are in danger."

Kouji sighed as he gave up. "Fine then, but please don't go too far off in the city."

"Iwon't."

And with that, Izumi took her coat and went out of the room.

As she was out in the city streets, it was then that she realized she hadn't really thought about where she was to go. All she wanted before hand was to go outside, but now that she is outside she was clueless as to what to do.

"You should have thought of that beforehand, Izumi." Kaizen said inside her mind.

"I guess you're right about that." Izumi sighed. "Well, I'll just go around for a walk a bit, maybe that would give me a clearer insight as to where I can go."

"It's a first that you didn't choose to go shopping first, Izumi." Kaizen commented.

"Well, I would have decided to do just that if I haven't forgotten my purse at my room." Izumi implied as she began to walk. "I don't want to go back up to my room just to get it since I know full well that Kouji would be awaiting my return and would try to stop me from going out again once I come in."

"I could fly up and get it for you."

"And let the people see a purse mysteriously floating towards me? I think not. That would surely attract too much attention."

The pair consisted of an invisible flying creature and a blond haired lady continued on walking, not minding where their feet (or in Kaizen's case, her wings) would take them.

Unknowingly, or by some strange force, they come across a beautiful and relaxing song being played by a man wearing a cloak and a hood which covered much of his face.

Izumi, without thinking, walked towards the man and seated right next to him. She thought that he would stop playing, but the cloaked man seem not to mind as he continued to play his song.

It took a while for the man to finish his song, and once he was done, Izumi once again did not think twice of complementing him and his music.

"That was a beautiful song, sir." Said Izumi looking at the hooded man with a smile on her face.

The man, who was really Takuya, was surprised to hear someone compliment him, though he did not show it in his face. Wondering who it was that stick through the end of his performance, he looked over at Izumi's direction.

His emotionless face changed into one that was filled with surprise, but he quickly regained his composure so fast that one had not to blink if one would want to catch even a glimpse of his reaction.

He then turned the other way around and thanked her. Izumi, who wanted to converse a little more, asked what his name was.

"You're not thinking of telling him that you're Takuya, right?" Flayhm asked him telepathically.

"Of course not." Takuya replied in the same manner, then proceeded to think of a name to give. But when Izumi started to repeat her question, and with the rush of being able to talk with the person whom he misses the most, Takuya was not able to think straight and so he gave the first name that came into his mind.

"Shin." Takuya replied.

One could imagine the surprise in Izumi's face after hearing the name which he had given. Even Takuya and Flayhm were surprised at the choice of name that Takuya had.

"Shin?" Izumi repeated with a mixture of sadness and recollection in both her facial features and her voice. "That reminds me of a name, a fake name, that a very close friend of mine once gave."

Takuya perked up at what Izumi had mentioned, but still hid his emotions and instead replied with "Is that so?"

Izumi nodded, but said nothing more before she remembered that she had not introduced herself. "I'm Izumi by the way."

Takuya nodded back, unsure of what to say – whether he should act friendly towards her or not.

"So, do you live around these parts?" Izumi asked out of curiousity

"No, I don't." Takuya replied. "What about you?"

"I don't either, my companions and I are…um…just on vacation."

"I see…"

Silence.

As the conversation went on, or what seems like it, the Spirit Guardians of Wind and Fire, which were both still hidden inside their respective Masters found the conversation to be dull and did not bother to take much notice of it. Flayhm even chose to sleep rather than to see how their meeting will end.

Even though Takuya could not tell her and admit whom he really is, he was still happy deep inside. For even if this meeting with her would not last, he was still thankful to have the chance to be with her again, even if he was Shin at that moment.

As for Izumi, she could not describe it, but the feeling that she was having at that moment sitting with this stranger who had introduced himself as 'Shin' felt really familiar to her. Like she had met him somewhere. But no memories of such meeting came to her and when she asked her Spirit Guardian for assistance on the matter, Kaizen could not give her any details about him.

An hour had passed since they first met, when Takuya felt the familiar presence of Teppei coming closer towards their direction. Wanting no trouble for having met Izumi again, Takuya quickly stood up which surprised Izumi.

"Oh, are you going already?" Izumi asked.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but I remember I still have an errand to attend." Takuya replied as he began to walk away, towards the opposite direction from where he could felt Teppei coming from.

"Wait, Sir Shin." Izumi called out.

Takuya halted.

"Can you tell me what the title of that song is?" Izumi asked, then added. "It feels familiar to me, but I can't quite figure out from where I have heard that song before."

The rain began to stop as the dark clouds began to part showing the crystal clear sky up above and the shining sun that watched all meetings and partings.

Takuya turned around, looked at her then answered: "It's called 'The Song of the Warrior'." Before turning around once again and walking off, disappearing into the sea of people that had once again began walking around the Plaza leaving Izumi to herself wondering if she would be able to hear the song being played again and the musician who played it before her.

_**To be **__**Continued**__**….**_

* * *

**A/N:**

Whew…that was one long chapter, wouldn't you guys say so?

I'm glad, as much as you guys are, that this chapter is finally finished and a new 'saga' is now opening up before our heroes. Hehehe, I always wanted to say that.

Here's a little update about the Digimon Frontier Game that I am making:

Currently, I am still working on the artwork (meaning the sprite, tilesets, backdrops, and the likes) of the game. I have also already finished the sprites of Takuya, Izumi, Kouji, Kouichi, Tomoki, Junpei, Teppei, Katsuharu, Chiaki, and Terrou, so thanks for those who imparted knowledge on where to find their pictures.

I have already encoded the systems to be used, so if I manage to get all the sprites finished, it would be smooth sailing from there and the game production would begin to move at it's full speed. Unfortunately, Agnimon/Agunimon's sprite is giving me the headaches since having to make his walking-up sprite is pretty hard for me (because of his stupid hair, darn it).

As for how the story, I would be including in the game the whole season's worth of story as well as extras, sort of like a fan-game. For those who wish to play the game (once it is completed) the only requirement is that you must have a PC with an XP OS…not much of a requirement, right?

The game would also incorporate FMVs or movie cutscenes that would be derived from the actual anime show, which I am still deciding whether to go for the original Japanese with English subtitled Digimon Frontier or the English dubbed version which was shown in Cartoon Network (it is different from the one shown in the Philippines). I'll let you guys decide on that.

Well, I think I will cut the game updates here since I am already on my way at creating a website for that game which I have decided to have a working title of "Digimon Frontier Adventure Chronicles".

Well, this is how far I will go in writing for now. So until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying PEACE and signing out!

Don't forget to leave a review as well as your thoughts on the game! All help is appreciated, and of course, you get to see your name on the credits!


	21. Entrance to the Beckoning Darkness

**A ****Digimon**** Frontier ****Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (****a.k.a****Haru**** Glory)**

**A/N:**

Well, this certainly took me half a day to write, but I can say that I am quite pleased with the result. Anyway, there's a little hint as to the revelation of who the enemy really is in this chapter. Just a hint, though and tiny one at that.

Anyway, here's the next chapter to our story: The Rabbit on the Moon. Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Entrance of the Beckoning Darkness**

Soon after the harmonica-playing-man who introduced himself as "Shin" left, Izumi went and continued on with her walk. Unbeknownst to her, doing so saved Takuya the much anticipated trouble if either one of them crosses paths with Teppei inside the city walls. Who knows what more seals and the likes they would put on Takuya just to stop him from meeting with her again, even if such meetings were accidental.

Takuya, who did not look back as he made his way through the crowd, let his mind linger on what had just happened. And once again, Flayhm, his Spirit Guardian, was free to question him on this.

"Shin, huh? Can't get any more original, can ya?" the Spirit Guardian said. "Honestly, you could have chosen any other name."

"It's not like I did that on purpose." Takuya hissed. "It just came out of no where."

That was true. Despite the fact that he was at a state of shock at that time when Izumi asked him his name, he did try to think of a name to give as well as whether it would be right to tell her whom he really was. But there was something, something inside him that seemed to have taken control of him at that instant. Takuya, of course, explained all of this to his winged companion.

"Are ya sure about that?" Flayhm asked. "I thought it was the first thing that popped into that head of yours."

"It was, but at that time, that moment, I thought that by giving her that name, I would only cause her to remember me – Takuya, and cause her to feel sadness because of that." Takuya said.

"Ya know, you're beginning to freak me out a bit." Flayhm said. "Then if you knew that much then why'd ya give her that name instead of giving something different."

Takuya was beginning to get annoyed at the conversation. He did not know the answer to that himself, and that was the main reason why he started talking with his guardian about it in the first place.

When Takuya failed to response, Flayhm began to feel uneasy.

He had already witnessed a number of changes in his master – both physically and mentally, and now this. He could very well trace when it all began, when Takuya changed and became the Takuya that he was now – a mercenary no less.

"I know the seal they placed on him has a lot of different side effects, most of which are negative," the flying creature thought to himself. "I can't ignore the possibility that what he is referring to as the 'unknown force' that told him what to say is the seal those guys from the Organization placed on him."

Flayhm looked over at the Takuya who seemed to have returned to his previous cold self and who did not seem to notice what he was doing nor what he was thinking of.

"He doesn't notice it yet, but little by little the Organization is managing to take hold of him, they're trying to manipulate him." Flayhm went on with his thoughts. "I don't really know what those guys are up to or which side they're really on, but I can't help but wonder why they are trying all means to make sure that Takuya and Izumi don't meet again. That they would go as far as limit what he could say to her."

He didn't know the answer to the questions that he, as his guardian, knows Takuya has. He wanted to help him, of course. It is the duty of a Spirit Guardian to aid and protect his master. That is why Flayhm vowed to find the answer to this new mystery that had opened itself to him. It was time, he believed, to dig deeper into this so-called Organization.

* * *

Hours later, the door to their apartment closed shut as Izumi Orimoto went inside. The lights were turned off save for the one in the dining area, and the whole place was quiet except for the murmuring voices of whom Izumi believed where her companions.

"This is weird," Izumi said as she proceeded on taking off her wet shoes thinking that she should not make a mess on the floor. "it's usually very lively in hear at this time. I wonder what's up."

"Izumi, is that you?" Came Tomoki's voice soon before Tomoki came walking to greet her. "Finally, you're back."

"Sorry about that, Kaizen and I lost track of time." She apologized.

"Well, you better hurry and talk with Kouji." Tomoki told her as he began to walk leaving her enough time to go to her room and change clothes. "Something's come up."

Upon hearing those words, and with the curiosity of what it could be that could cause their entire entourage to be as quiet as it was now, Izumi hurriedly changed into a much drier and comfortable clothing before proceeding to where the others were.

When she got to the dining area, she noticed how all of them were all sitting quietly, all waiting for her to join in. She also noticed one other thing – Kouichi was not with them…

"I thought everyone was already here, where's Kouichi?" Izumi asked as she sat beside Tomoki.

"He's at his room." Kouji answered. "I'm glad you're back, Izumi. We have some important and disturbing matters to discuss."

"Does it have something to do with the King and his cohorts?" She guessed.

Kouji nodded. "Something like that."

At that, Junpei handed her a parchment, which obviously was just delivered some time ago. Whoever delivered the said parchment seemed not to care about the status of the thing when it is delivered for it was not just crumpled, but also slightly wet from the rain.

"That just arrived a few hours ago, Lady Izumi." Junpei began to explain. "We don't know who delivered it here or how they even knew where we are staying. But one thing is for sure, they already know our whereabouts."

As Izumi listened to the explanation, she began reading the parchment, and it says:

_We already know where you are hiding, and no matter what you are planning, it will not work. We have far too much trump cards in our disposal as your small band has none. We can take everything you hold dear…and we already have taken down your friend and comrade, Takuya __Kanbara__ despite the fact that he is the son of our Commander._

Izumi held down her anger after reading the first paragraph of the letter. She thought how lightly those people who are after them thought of what they did to Takuya. She could not forgive them for what they did to him – the torture he went through that led to his death, and how they made it look like he was really a traitor to the kingdom, when the truth was far from it.

_Now, I believe it is time for us to give you our proposal. Disband your __small,__ and feeble group of brigands and rebels and kneel down before the King of __Frontiria__, King Seraphim and hand over the Chosen Ones that are at your disposal._

_If you agree to do so, then we shall release all the prisoners that we have and stop the attacks that our Knights are currently doing in the different cities, towns and villages of your beloved Kingdom._

_Choose otherwise, and you will regret it for what remains in your life._

_If you believe we are bluffing, then think again. Not a word written here is a bluff, and as proof, we have enclosed something in this letter that one of you may find quite familiar._

Izumi reread the letter twice before giving Kouji a questioning look, waiting for him to explain things in detail to her.

"What do they mean about that 'something'? What is it?" Izumi asked as she thought how important that 'something' must be if their enemies believe it would turn the tide to their favor.

"This." Kouji said as he took out an emblem from his coat's pocket and placed it on the table.

The emblem looked quite similar to the emblem that Takuya had once showed her except for some minor differences. Whilst Takuya's family emblem was made from pure gold, this one was made from silver. It held the image of a falcon in the middle with eyes made of ruby. Engraved at the bottom of the falcon were the words: "Liberty, Humanity, Justice, Equality".

Izumi looked at the back of the emblem hoping to find the name of whomever the emblem belongs to, but there was none. And so she asked, "This is a family emblem, correct?"

Kouji nodded.

"Then whose is it? I've never encountered this one before."

"It's the Kimura Family's emblem." Tomoki was the one who replied. "Well, according to Kouichi, it's the emblem that his grandfather has."

"Kouichi's?" Izumi exclaimed. "Then that means…"

Kouji nodded, his face etched with the graveness of the matter. "Yes, they must have decided to lure us out by capturing those who are near to us…and the leaders of our movement for that matter are no exception."

"But why would they go as far as doing this? Kouichi isn't even a Chosen One, isn't he?" Izumi asked. "Besides that, why are they focusing themselves so much on us when there are others who are just as eager to put an end to their plans than us?"

"We don't know what their thinking, Lady Izumi." Junpei said. "But if you ask me, I think they're going for what they believe is the easiest to catch. Why they chose Kouichi's family to attack, we can't quite figure out why."

Izumi stared at the emblem which was still resting on her palm. She could not help but feel sorry and worried for her friend and companion, Kouichi. At the same time, the anger and detest she feels for the King and his men have grown in proportion.

"What are we to do of this, then?" Izumi asked.

Kouji shook his head. "For starters, we should flee from this city while we can. In regard to the matter concerning General Kimura, however, we can't decide it on our own."

"Then we should contact, father." Izumi muttered loud enough for the others to hear. "Alright, let's get ready. We can't afford to lose time, can we?"

"I'll go inform Kouichi then." Tomoki said, as everyone stood up.

* * *

Takuya stared blankly at the trio who were obviously not pleased with him returning much later than they had hoped he would return. He, of course, did not give a damn as to what these three people thought of his actions nor the consequences that his actions might bring.

"What's so important anyway that you three have to wait for my return?" Takuya asked in a boring tone making sure to emphasize his disgusts in the people who have constantly told him 'saved his life'.

"Where have you been?" Chiaki asked. "You should have been back earlier, what took you so long?"

Takuya glared at her, not saying anything. Like always, Chiaki was not amused by his actions, and neither were the two who were with her. But seeing as the conversation won't be going anywhere and neither would he if he did not answer, he had no choice but to do so.

"I just walked around town trying to find something to do." Takuya replied. He was not about to tell the truth to these guys. "So, what is it? Surely you all have something more important to do than to wait for me to come back."

Katsuharu nodded. "It would be foolish to waste any more time in useless banter, so let me get straight to the point. We've located our target, and it seems the information we have is correct. They are in this town as we speak, but I am afraid that that won't be for long."

"Target?" Takuya asked. "You still haven't told me the full details of this mission apart from the fact that we're suppose to be some sort of protectors."

"It would be of no use hiding it now to you, Kanbara." Teppei said. "But, let us state this clearly to you as possible. Our targets cannot know of your true identity."

Takuya stared at his companions. "Not this kind of mission again. Why is hiding my identity so much important to every single mission that I get myself stuck into?"

It was Chiaki who explained the reason why: "It's because the whole of Frontiria believes you to be dead. For the King and your father to hear word that you still live would only jeopardize the plans that our leader has already made to oust the current King and his men who certainly have some twisted plan behind all of his actions."

"I mean nothing to the King and to my father. How would it jeopardize everything this leader of yours has planned?"

"That, we are not authorized to answer." Katsuharu replied. "Anyway, our target has also been located by the enemy and they would surely act soon. They have also been informed of these and so they might make haste to escape this city. We have to rendezvous with them before they hide again."

"So, who's the target? Care to tell me that now?"

"Impatient as ever I see. Well, I guess now's the time if we are also to move out now." Katsuharu said. "I'm sure you know quite well the leader of the entourage that we are to escort. He goes by the name Kouji Minamoto, the Vice Commander of the Eastern Corps Division."

"Kouji?" Takuya said with a tone of surprise in his voice, which was also apparent in his facial expression. "What's he doing here? Isn't he much more needed back in Frontiria than in this foreign Kingdom, what with all the things happening."

"Apparently they seek to have an audience with _her_, hoping for some help." Teppei said. "Also, he was tasked by the Eastern Corp's Commander also to make sure of the safety of our fellow Chosen Ones within their small group."

"I see." Takuya said trying to sound uninterested. "So, how do you suggest we meet up with his small band? Certainly you're not planning to just head over to where they, they won't be so quick to trust that we are here to help them since you did just say the enemy also know of their whereabouts."

"Takuya has a point, Katsuharu." Chiaki said. "They might not take our word."

"I've already devised a plan for that, there is no need to worry." Katsuharu said.

"That's Captain for you." Teppei said. "So, I guess it's time for us to pack up, then?"

Katsuharu nodded. "Remember not to tarry."

Everyone nodded at that, and proceeded with doing their packing.

Their belongings were all packed and Kouji had already gone to the innkeeper and paid their bills. It had already been an hour and a half since Izumi read the letter and learned that their enemy has taken the Southern Corps' Commander hostage in order to lure them to the King's side. But even as everyone was all rearing to go, Kouichi had yet to get out of his room.

"I feel sorry for him." Junpei said as Kouji and Izumi were trying to get Kouichi out of his room, whose door was locked. "I mean, he just came along to help out, right?"

"Yes, he did." Tomoki nodded. "If you look at it, it's all Izumi and my fault that you guys got caught up with this."

"Foolishness, Tomoki." Junpei said. "We're all in this together. We, as Knights, although we swore to abide by the King's demands are also vowed to help the people. We are doing our duty and that which we believe is right."

Tomoki smiled. "I guess you're not much of an idiot at all, Lord Junpei."

"An idiot?"

"Yes, that was my first, second, and third impressions of you."

"Kouichi, this is no time to be slumping about and feeling sorry for yourself!" Kouji called out as he banged on the door. "Now, open up and get out here. We need to hurry and get out of here!"

Silence.

"Kouichi, please." Izumi begged. "We will find a way to save your grandfather, I promise you. So please, come out now."

Silence still.

"He can't be asleep, can he?" Izumi asked.

"Even if he was asleep, he'd be wide awake with all the ruckus we have been making by now." Kouji said. "I do not believe he is selfish enough to purposely shut us off like this…unless…"

"Unless what?" Izumi asked.

It was only then that realization dawned at the Vice Commander. A possibility that he had not thought of suddenly popped into his mind which made him walk a few steps back and run full force towards the door. His motive: to bring the door down.

"What are you doing, Lord Kouji?" Izumi asked. "The innkeeper would not be pleased if you break that door down."

Kouji walked back again and ran towards the door. But, the second time, it did not work,

"He's been locked in there far too long, and we've allowed him just enough time to think about going after his Grandfather by himself." Kouji said before trying again.

"He would not do that." Izumi said. "He would have told us if he would."

"He would have. But there is also another possibility of what he would be trying to do." Kouji said, at that time, Junpei and Tomoki had also rushed towards the scene.

"What's going on?" Tomoki asked.

"Lord Kouji believes that Kouichi is no longer inside of his room." Izumi briefed them. "He think Kouichi might have gone to try and save his grandfather by himself."

"That, or he could have gone towards the enemy's side." Kouji said, voicing out his other conclusion.

"Now that is an impossible thing!" Junpei said. "Even with the shortest time I've known Lord Kimura, he would do no such thing. He values his loyalty to his comrades far too much to even think of that."

"He was acting strange when he returned carrying the letter with him." Kouji pointed out. "There must have been another message – a personal message, that was handed specifically to him."

There was silence. Both Junpei and Tomoki had also noticed how Kouichi acted when he returned. They saw his expression changed when he learned, after the four of them first read the letter, of his Grandfather's predicament. They have thought it absolutely normal, however, thinking back, they noticed there was more to his change in attitude and expression than what one would have first noticed.

After several attempts, the door to Kouichi's room finally flung open. It disappointed everyone when they found no trace of Kouichi and what greeted them was the unlit room that had been run clean.

There was not a trace of Kouichi's belongings. You could not have even guessed that someone lived in that room for even the shortest time.

"I can't believe it." Izumi muttered. "He's really gone."

"Did he really go over to their side? Is he really going to betray us?" Tomoki asked as he too entered the dark room.

"I don't know, Tomoki." Kouji said, sadness and disappointment were of note to his voice. "I don't know."

Junpei, who was trying to be a detective – looking for clues as to where Kouichi was headed, caught sight of a piece of paper lying at the table's oaken surface. Having the sense of curiosity welled up inside him, he began to read the contents of what he guessed was a letter.

His boorish expression change to that of surprise, and seeing how vital an information was in that piece of paper, he quickly went over to his comrades and showed it to them.

"I found this at the table." Junpei said before handing the letter over to his superior. "It has the same style of writing, as well as the same penmanship as that of the letter that was addressed to all of us."

Kouji took the letter and began to read it with the lights turned on. His expression changed grim when he had finished reading it.

Facing Izumi and the others he said. "We're moving out, we have no more time to waste if we are to catch up with him."

Tomoki nodded and Izumi asked: "Where is he headed? Does it say anything of that matter?"

Kouji handed her the letter to read for herself as he replied. "It tells more than just that."

Izumi looked at the letter. At first glance, it held only short sentences. But when Izumi read it, she understood at once…it was an invitation – an invitation to the other side.

When she read it, she crumpled the paper in her hand. Anger was well inside her as well as confusion. She did not understand what Kouichi would be thinking to even consider the offer.

She went outside the room, leaving the crumpled paper on the floor where Tomoki managed to catch a glimpse of what it said:

_Consider the offer we talk about, Lord __Kouichi__ for the sake of your Grandfather and your __famiy_

_TK_

**To be ****Continued****…**

A/N:

Well, that certainly went long enough. How do you guys find the story so far?

I'm thankful for those who continue to read and review my fanfic, despite the irregular updates that I am giving it.

20 Chapters so far and I feel like the story is just in its blooming process. There's so much more awaiting our intrepid young heroes, you all can be sure of that.

Well, anyway. There's really not much left to say for now. No new updates on that Digimon game that I am making for now as well.

I bet there are already some of you who can guess who sent the letter to Kouichi, some guesses may be wrong while some may very well be right. As to which is which, you all have to find out in the next chapter (which I will probably put up sometime this week if I manage to finish it before school starts kicking in again, so keep your fingers crossed on that, lol).

With all that said, this is Sakura Martinez, saying "PEACE" and signing out. See you all in the next chapter and don't forget to review!


	22. A New Chance

**A ****Digimon**** Frontier ****Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (****a.k.a****Haru**** Glory)**

**[A/N:**

I'm kinda delayed when it comes to updating this story since there had been a lot of things going on in the background. Anyways, I'm quite thankful for all the reviews I got from the past chapter, it showed how many people are still reading this.

With that said, here's the next chapter, hope you guys like it too.

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**A New Chance**

In the darkness of the night, numerous figures made haste to exit the City. Making sure not to make any sound, they walked nimbly and in the shadows. They knew they were being watched, the only question was: from where?

The moonlight was their only guide. The noise of the nocturnal animals that reside in the City was their only console that no harm would befall on them – yet.

They were cold, for the wind that swept the land seemed to carry with it the frozen embodiment of the rain that had drenched the streets and the world around them a couple of hours before.

Their breath was visible as puffs of smoke emerged from their mouth and nostrils whenever they breathe. Their thick fur-made cloaks seemed not to work as they could not help but think how fate seems to favor those who wished ill of them.

Kaizen flew above the group making sure to keep herself invisible to all but her master. It was her task to be their lookout. For her to make sure that they would not be running into enemy hands.

The Guardian Spirit of the Wind found herself lucky to not be able to feel anything – warm or cold. She could not bear to imagine how she would be able to do her duty well if she were capable of such feeling as getting cold.

Among the group, it seemed as though Tomoki was the only one who was not trembling. It was, of course, all thanks to the power he possessed as the Chosen One of Ice and of course, thanks to his Spirit Guardian, the Polar-Bear-looking-Hiltz.

"Can't you share that thick-skin-like ability with us, Tomoki?" Junpei asked as he shivered when another round of cold and freezing air blew.

"I don't think I can even if I wanted to, Junpei." Tomoki replied, feeling a bit guilty that he was the only one who found the cold normal. "It's one of those things that are special to us Chosen Ones alone."

"Then, Lady Izumi, can you at least direct the wind not to blow the cold into our direction?" Junpei said, almost as if whining.

Izumi looked over at her bodyguard, "If I do that then we'd only be giving away our position to the enemy. Besides, take it like a man. You're a knight, aren't you?"

"But--!"

Kouji sighed, with the ruckus that Junpei was making he could not help but think that it would only be a matter of time before they were found.

"Keep it down, Junpei." Kouji hissed, quite annoyed. "Do you want us to get caught?"

This, finally silenced the freezing young knight as he kept his thoughts to himself.

It took them several more minutes before they were already by the city gates. Believing that once they get there, they would finally breathe a sigh of relief, one could imagine the surprise on their faces when they saw a group of people waiting just beyond the gates.

Believing that it is the people who are after them, everyone made ready to defend themselves whilst they continued walking.

"If they try to do anything suspicious, we'll attack immediately." Kouji informed them in a hushed whisper. Everyone acknowledged hearing him by nodding their heads.

"Get ready to battle, Kaizen…if it is needed, that is." Izumi told her guardian.

Kaizen nodded.

Everyone's breath was held. The hands of the two knights were on the hilt of their prized weapon. The minds of the two Chosen Ones were cleared, ready at any given notice.

Ten seconds and they would be passing the people who seemed to be awaiting something…perhaps them.

Nine seconds and they would be passing the people all wore cloaks that hid their faces from view.

Eight seconds and they would be passing the people who seemed to not care as they approached.

Seven seconds and they would be passing the people who did not shiver even as another cold wind blew.

Six seconds.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

None moved as Kouji and his entourage passed. Not a single one of those people even looked at their direction. The Vice Commander could not help but feel at ease even when his hands were still on his hilt, ready to attack.

"Maybe I'm just thinking too much of things." He thought to himself.

As they were already a couple of feet away from these cloaked ones, everyone breath a sigh of relief as if the worst had just passed. As if their worries were all gone. All, that is, except for Izumi and Tomoki.

"Tomoki," Izumi muttered as she walked at the same pace as the younger Chosen One did. "did you feel that?"

Tomoki nodded, his face was serious. "It's the same feeling as I've been having since this morning. A familiar yet distant feeling."

Izumi nodded.

Kaizen eyed the cloaked men who still had not moved from their position even as the distance between them grew. She knew where she had felt it before, but she still had no idea at the moment what it was.

"It's the same scent as from this morning." She thought to herself. She then looked over at Hiltz who caught her gaze and nodded, as if telling her that she could smell it too.

"Aren't we going to talk to them?" Asked one of the cloaked men.

"No." Came the reply from another cloaked man. "We won't be confronting them like this. I've thought it through, and it's not time yet."

"Are you certain about that, Captain?" Another one asked.

The cloaked one in question nodded. "We'll examine them from a distance, I doubt one of us would be able to keep his word."

The person whom the Captain was referring to did not seem to care what his superior was saying. Shrugging that side comment off, his eyes, while trying not to make it seem like it, was eyeing the blond-haired woman that had just passed them.

Takuya had no desire in his heart at that very moment, than to grab her hand and let her know that he was alive and well. That he did not mean to leave her in the dark as to her true status.

His auburn colored eyes shone in a golden brown brilliance as the moonlight touched over them. He could very well imagine the look that Izumi would have if he did just that.

He knew very well that he would doubt his true identity. He had changed after all – from his hair, to his composure and even to his demeanor. He did not think this is what maturity was, but he knew for a fact that he was no longer the same as the Takuya from the past and that she too had changed.

Even if he just managed to catch a glimpse of her as she walked briskly by, he still managed to see it. The strength in her beautiful eyes. The resolve to fight.

He smiled to himself. "And so it seems we have both grown, Izumi."

He was snapped from his thoughts when Katsuharu finally spoke. "It's time. Remember, use stealth."

"Right." Everyone said.

"Especially you, Takuya." Katsuharu added before he vanished with a puff of smoke and their two other companions followed suit.

Takuya growled. How he hate being under those guys. But what can he do? He had no choice. And with one final look at the place where their roads met once again, he too vanished.

Not far from where Takuya and his companions were, there stood another group composed of three people, all of them also wearing cloaks but unlike the first group, their eyes held nothing but malice.

"Well, this looks pretty interesting, wouldn't you say?" Said one of the cloaked figures who watched as Takuya's group dispersed.

"Yes, it sure does." Came a female voice who was sitting from one of the tree's branches overlooking the entrance to the city. "It seems we are not the only ones who're interested on the Western Commander's daughter."

"Well, at least it has become interesting." Came the third one's voice who sounded rather bored. "Having to follow them all around the place has become rather boring, more people being involved means more people I get to kill."

The woman looked at her companion rather displeased as she thought to herself how barbaric he was, wanting nothing more but more blood on his hands. But, her companion did state a fact that it was becoming crude and he was right about having more excitement now with hurdles along the way.

The taller of the two, the one who spoke first, voiced out his concern. "Still, I can not help but wonder who those people are."

"Who cares, Kratos?" came the bored voice of the other man. "Their just insects waiting to be squashed anyways, there's no need to learn petty details as to who they are or where they came from. Those details won't matter in a battlefield anyways."

"Krad's right, Kratos." The woman agreed. "For all we know, those people are just a bunch of amateur knights hired by that pesky Commander to protect his daughter. We're wasting time as we speak of them, we have no time to waste, after all, the Master would not be pleased if young Kimura gets caught up with those people again."

The man, Kratos looked at his two companions. "I guess you are right, Kira. Then let us be off and deal with those people, I could use a little bit of vacation after this."

And with that, he vanished into the darkness, his two companions following suit.

* * *

Hours have passed since Izumi, Kouji, Tomoki and Junpei got out of the City of the Kingdom of Sol. All of them were tired, but they knew that if they want to catch up with Kouichi and stop him from doing whatever it was he was planning on doing, they would have no time to waste, not even for a little bit of rest.

They have found that the easiest and safest path they had, and a possible path that Kouichi also took, was that in the Forest of Illumines.

As the group made their way through the forest, not far from them, Takuya's group was also following, although his group decided that the best and more productive way of following the group was by encircling them with a V-formation, with Takuya at the end of the said formation.

Takuya, although pretty far from Izumi and her companions, could spot them in the distance as he used the trees and its branches, leaping from one to another, as a means to do his job – a skill he managed to perfect thanks to the Organization's harsh training.

With a small flash of light, Flayhm appeared right next to him.

"What are you doing, Flayhm?" Takuya asked as he eyed his guardian with a surprised look on his face. "I believe you heard what Katsuharu said about you not appearing in your tangible form. What if the enemy spots you?"

"Even if they see me as I am now, Takuya, they won't realize that I am the Guardian Spirit of Flames, they may only think of me as some forest creature or something." Flayhm said. "After all, it was a millennia ago that I appeared in this world, who the heck would remember or even know of me now?"

Takuya did not say anything after that, he focused himself on the mission at hand. He didn't know why, but somehow he felt as if there was something wrong, something that was out of place.

He shrugged it off a couple of hours later as they neared the edge of the dense forest believing that he was just being paranoid and that there was nothing wrong, that was, until he noticed the number of people in Izumi's entourage.

Flahym noticed the sudden change in his master's eyes and so he asked, "What's wrong?"

Still continuing on with him following the group, Takuya replied. "I had been thinking that something was wrong and I've only noticed it now, I don't understand why there are only four of them when there should be five."

"What are you talkin' about now?" Flahym asked.

"Someone's not with them." Takuya pointed out to his flying companion. "Were there only just four of them from the beginning?"

Takuya's musing was cut short when he saw not far ahead another group of people who seemed to be waiting for something.

* * *

When Kouji saw the blockade that was in front of them, he ordered everyone to halt. He did not expect to bump into him soon, but there he is standing in front of two other people with his back turned against them…

"Kouji!" Kouichi shouted, a hint of anger in his voice.

Kouichi slowly turned around to meet with his once-companions. When he had faced them, everyone was surprised with the sudden change in Kouichi. His eyes no longer showed any hesitation, his stance was no longer meek, but most of all, he showed no expression with meeting up with them.

"It seems they've caught up with us, Kouichi." Said Kira.

There was no response from him.

"Kouichi, what are you doing? Who are those people?" Izumi asked.

"We don't need to introduce ourselves to you lot." Said Krad, "Kouichi, you don't need to worry about these people, we'll handle them. You go on and meet with our master, he had been really anxious to see you."

Kouichi turned around and nodded to them before he boarded his horse and galloped away.

"Kouichi, wait!" Kouji shouted, but it was already too late.

"Sorry, but we can't let you through." Kira said.

"Get out of our way, woman!" Junpei said.

"Not a chance, boy!" Kira shouted back, taking out her twin daggers from their sheath. "We can't allow you or anybody else to hinder the plans that our master has."

"Then I guess we do not have a choice." Kouichi said as he too unsheathed his sword. "Everyone, we must break through them."

"Right." Everyone acknowledged.

* * *

Takuya was astounded, he would not have dreamed of the day that Kouichi would turn against his friends and companions. He could not think of any reason why he would do something like that.

But there was one thing he knew he needed to do.

He didn't care if Katsuharu, Teppei and Chiaki went ballistic on him. He could sense it, a power that was like no other, a power that seemed to flow from some evil source. And that power was, as he could sense it, emanating from those two people who were hindering Izumi and her companions from going after Kouichi. And he knew that they would not have a chance against those two by themselves.

What matters the most was that he would be able to protect them all. Something that he believed he was not able to accomplish before.

**To be ****Continued****… **

**[A/N:**

Whew, fifteen chapters…I did not expect it to be this long, lol.

Anyways, I really have nothing left to say for my post author's notes so I'll be leaving this chapter here for now. (Got a lot to do)

So, until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying PEACE and signing out!

Don't forget to send me your reviews, okay?


	23. Knight Blazer

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)**

* * *

**A/N:**

Although I did say I was going to update last week, I wasn't able to do so since it was our exams and because I was also too busy preparing for the Video presentation that is going to be used for my sister's debut this coming 29th of December, so I, like always, want to apologize for such a long delay.

Anyway, I would not delay you're wait any longer. Here's the newest chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Knight Blazer**

* * *

A powerful explosion shook the forest. Trees and branches as well as dirt and dust were sent flying because of the impact of the explosion.

"That should take care of those fools." Said Kira as the dust began to clear.

But to her surprise, as she thought her enemies had already been disintegrated, Kouji and his companions were still standing unscathed.

"What? How?!" Kira exclaimed in disbelief.

"That was quick thinking Lady Izumi." Kouji said as he patted her, "Hate to break it to you, but we don't go down that easily."

Kira's companion, Krad, smiled. The maniac, blood-stained eyes gleamed with excitement as he came to a realization that this could not be a boring, one-sided battle after all.

* * *

Not too far from the battle grounds, Takuya was almost blown away by the force of explosion. Worry clouded his features as he wondered what could have happened to Izumi and her friends, but the worry he felt vanished as the dust began to settle and he saw that they were unharmed.

But he was surprised still as he saw the radius of the shield that Izumi created using her power. He knew of her being a Chosen One, but he did not knew that she had become this adept in handling her power…and in such a short time as well."That could have finished them off." Flayhm said. "Their lucky Izumi's reflexes are quick because she's intune with her power."

Takuya nodded. "Yeah, but if we don't hurry, their luck might not be enough to save them from this predicament."

"Right!"

* * *

"Damn it!" Katsuharu said as he made a dash towards the site, "We should have been more careful!"

"It can't be helped, Captain." Teppei said. "But we will have such an explaining to do if Takuya rushes in the fray before we do and they recognize him."

"Don't worry, Teppei." Chiaki said. "Takuya knows that they cannot know who he is…not yet anyways."

"Still, we can't be too certain…" Katsuharu said.

* * *

Kouji and Junpei, despite teaming up together in order to defeat Kira, found it unbelievably hard to do so. At first, they both thought that because of her petite size, the only thing she would be capable of doing on her own was dodging their attacks and running around. They thought that they had not to worry about her attacks, after all, what could a skinny woman possibly do, right? Well, they were dead wrong.

Despite her petite stature, this woman was able to hit Junpei and send him flying over a tree whilst he still was blocked. Despite her petite stature, this woman was also able to block Kouji's powerful attacks without a problem.

"This has to be a joke, right?" Junpei muttered as he stood up, his sword supporting him as he did so. "There's no way all these could be real…"

"This is bad." Kouji also thought to himself as he poised himself. "If things continue as they are…no, I don't even want to think what would happen if they do."

On the other end of the battlefield, Tomoki and Izumi were having their own problems facing Krad who has transformed himself into a raging, fighting-obsessed lunatic.

Being able to just dodge the said lunatic's attack was feat enough for despite having such a large body, Krad was, like his companion, quite fast. All Izumi and Tomoki could manage to do was stay far away from him as possible while unleashing their own barrage of elemental attacks, which seemed to have limited effect on their enemy.

"Why isn't our attacks doing major damage to this guy?" Izumi managed to ask over the roar of the combined attacks of Ice and Wind.

"I don't know." Tomoki replied. Then he turned over to his Guardian Spirit and asked, "Can you feel and tell whether he is also a Chosen One or not?"

Hiltz shook his head, "Well, I don't know about being a Chosen One or not, but his aura, it's different from that of an ordinary human."

"I don't think you need to point that out to us, Hiltz." Kaizen said, "It's quite obvious that these people aren't human, I mean c'mon our attacks don't work on them!"

"This is strange," Izumi said. "Tomoki, you already are using your Level 2 power, right?"

Tomoki nodded as they both jumped out of the way of another explosive attack from Krad.

"What are you two mumbling about?" Krad asked, "Are you already praying for some miracle to save you from this predicament? No matter how much you pray, no such miracle would occur for you."

And with that he let out a maniacal laughter that seemed to echo throughout the forest grounds.

* * *

The laughter seems to pierce through him. He knew as he made his way towards the battlefield that whomever such a laughter belonged to certainly has no sense of humanity in them. And that is a bad thing.

"Damn it!" Takuya said as he began to run. "If the trees weren't blown away I could have been there by now."

"Don't dwell on it too much, Takuya." Flayhm said, his eyes focused up ahead. "You can't be serious on rushing to help them looking like that."

"Looking like what?" Takuya asked.

"Like pretty much yourself as how they remembered you." Flayhm replied. "I mean, before you met up with Izumi again, your eyes were already that of a killer and you have that stern look in your face that made it hard to recognize you. But now, the only feature that separates the 'you' now and the 'you' from the past is that hair of yours. You can't possibly be thinking of going ahead looking like that!"

"Well, you can't be too sure that they will recognize me." Takuya said.

"Hah! I'm quite positive that they would!" Flayhm said a-matter-of-factly. "People who miss a certain person tend to quickly recognize a person who looks like that person whom they miss the most. What more of you when you are already that very person that they miss the most?"

Takuya's brows furrowed. He understood very well what his guardian meant and he could see the problem. He could still remember the words that had kept him from going after Izumi during his funeral. Those words that escaped Chiaki's mouth.

There was a high probability that these people attacking his friends were sent by his father and the King. That could mean that if, by any chance, Izumi figures out who he really was that these people would immediately send word to his father and to the King that he is still alive and in the company of Commander Orimoto's Vice Captain and his daughter. That would certainly spell out the exact scenario that Chiaki pointed out to him long before.

He had to do something about his appearance. But what?

"So, what are you proposing we do?" Takuya asked. "I don't think this cloak would hide my identity any longer than it had with Izumi."

Flayhm's face was serious. Takuya immediately noticed that face as the face of his guardian who already had something planned out. Something that he was sure would be risky.

"Spill it out, Flayhm." Takuya said. "We're almost there."

Flayhm stopped dead on his tracks which made Takuya also stop and look back at him.

"Takuya, there is a way for them not to completely know who you are." Flayhm began. "But this way is uncertain and could damage your Spiritual powers, our link and could even scar your body."

"I don't care, as long as it's a quick way because we don't have much time to dawdle."

Flayhm nodded. "This way I am to teach you is something that normally has to be taught in a slower manner, in the same way you did your training for your Level 2 power because this is one of the powers only available to those who reach Level 3."

Takuya was surprised to hear Flayhm even mention obtaining the third level of his power. He could still remember that long and arduous training he had to undergo just so he could obtain Level 2. He could very well remember that horrid feeling where he could have sworn that he was being burned alive. It was something his body could still recall and something he had to undergo, but he never thought he would have to do so again so soon.

He had almost lost an arm because of that training, and it was only just the second level, what more in the third level of training?

But he knew he had no choice. He knew that he has to do this, and that he needs to be able to do this without any hitch.

"So, will you go through with it? You only have less than a minute in order to do it, if you fail…well, we can only hope that Katsuharu and the others get to them in time."

"What was there to think about, anyways?" Takuya said to himself. "It was already decided even before I knew of the consequence." Then facing Flayhm with eyes of conviction he replied. "Yes. What do I have to do?"

* * *

Izumi winced in pain. She didn't know that the woman that both Junpei and Kouji were fighting against would take time to attack her.

"Was that just to show us that she can take on all of us by herself?" Izumi thought.

"Izumi, are you alright?" Tomoki said as he created an ice shield to protect them both to take a look at her injury.

"I can manage." Izumi replied trying to smile. "I'll be sure to pay that woman back for what she did!"

Tomoki smiled. "Don't try to force yourself though."

"Well, we can't leave things just to Lord Kouji and Lord Junpei now, can we?" Izumi said as Kaizen was helping her do some first aid. "Even if I can help a little, I want to do whatever I can."

Tomoki nodded. "I'm sure Takuya would have grinned at that if hear you say that. If he weren't gone, this would have been an easy fight with all three of us."

Silence was Izumi's answer. She was still uneasy talking about Takuya in the past tense like that or in thinking of what-ifs. But Tomoki did not need to hear any response from her, after all, he knew how she was feeling…sort of.

When she has finished patching up her wound, Tomoki released the shield and they went back to helping with the fight, a fight that they seem to be losing.

But the moment that he let the ice shield go was the moment that Krad was waiting for. For at that moment, Krad launched at them, his Axe drawn and without a doubt, it was going to strike them down.

Kouji saw it but he was blocking another fierce set of attacks from Kira to do anything to help.

Junpei saw it but he was too far to do anything to save them.

Hiltz could have created another defensive mechanism if it weren't for the fact that he, like his Master, was already drained of Spiritual Energy.

Kaizen could have created a powerful wind to blow Krad's axe away if it weren't for the fact that she like Izumi had just used a huge amount of Spiritual Energy for healing and what remained was not enough to create such a powerful wind for the job.

Everything seemed to fall into slow motion as the sharp edge of the axe that the enemy had swung towards them began to fall.

"Is this it?" Izumi thought to herself. "Are we going to die?"

She could no longer move, her fear and disbelief seemed to have frozen her to her place. And so she just waited. Her eyes were shut as he just waited for the blow to be dealt.

But there came none. Opening her eyes she saw why.

There stood the same man who was with the group that they had come across earlier. The man was blocking the attack with an axe of his own – matching raw strength with raw strength.

"It's alright." Came a female voice from beside her. "Come on."

When she looked to her side, she saw another one of those people they have come across at the town's entrance. This one was a woman with brown-colored hair.

"What's taking you so long, Chiaki." Said the man who was blocking the attack. "Hurry and help them up, I can't do much with you and them behind."

"I'm doing this as quick as possible, Katsuharu." Said Chiaki, the woman who was helping her and Tomoki up. "But these guys are still in shock."

"Then drag them if you have to just get out of the way!"

"Oh no you don't!" cried Kira as she was about to hurl another attack at the unsuspecting group.

She threw a set of kunai towards their direction, her aim was certain and so was she. But when she hoped it would hit the group, it did not. What was more she could not seem to see the kunai that she threw.

"Looking for these?" Came Teppei's voice.

"What!?" Kira said in surprise. "How did you…?!"

Instead of answering Kira's question, Teppei turned towards the stunned Junpei and Kouji and said, "Leave it this guys to us since you all do need some rest."

Kouji nodded and so did Junpei.

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to deal with you hounds, but I guess it can't be helped." Teppei said as he readied himself to battle, and after calling the attention of his two other companions added, "Let's finish this before that brat decides to jump in and ruin it all."

The two other nodded.

* * *

Meanwhile…

"Concentrate harder, Takuya." Flayhm said in a stern voice. "You should concentrate harder."

Takuya, who was panting and sweating with bruises all over his body looked at the direction where his guardian was levitating at.

"Easy for you to say." Takuya muttered. "How am I suppose to concentrate when you put your power up to somewhere close to a hundred percent? Have you forgotten that you are burning hot! You may not feel a thing, but I sure can!"

"Instead of complaining, Takuya, why don't you focus more on the task at hand?" Flayhm said.

Takuya growled under his breath, but consented to his Spirit Guardian's wishes knowing that he had no time left. He could feel it through Flayhm, Izumi and Tomoki were already weakening.

Closing his eyes once again, putting all of his concentration in and readying himself for the intensifying heat generated by Flayhm while transferring his powers to his Master, Takuya told himself that he would do it this time around.

Flayhm ignited himself once again, his hairy mane transformed into a flaming one. The pupils of his eyes glowed bright orange – fire visible through them. He inhaled a long one and exhaled it.

What came from his mouth was a soul-like breath of fiery color and it landed on Takuya. The power from it causing the ground around Takuya to tremble and a hot fumes erupted from beneath him.

His hair, although already gelled up, was even blown upwards. The pressure was overwhelming, yet Takuya remained steadfast.

Flames began to cover his body and he felt like he, himself was being burned. But still he forced himself to concentrate even more – to care not about the pain that he is feeling.

When the flames have already crawled to his face, Takuya let out a scream.

* * *

It seems that when the battle was already in their favor, fate decided to turn against them as their enemies suddenly obtained an unexplainable power. A power that if they had not seen, would have been believed to be impossible. 

"It can't be!" Izumi gasped.

"How…?" Tomoki said dumbfounded, "How could they be able to use that?!"

Kouji's brows were furrowed, he had only seen one individual capable of doing what these people are doing now, but, "…but that guy's no longer around…"

"Hey, is this even possible, Captain?" Teppei asked, as he too was surprised at the sudden outburst of power from their foes.

"It shouldn't be," Katsuharu replied, "and yet here they are, people capable of controlling the same power as Takuya Kanbara!"

In front of the group, the two smirking warriors stood, their fists and weapons ablaze, ready for another round of combat.

"It's faint," Kaizen said to Izumi, "but I can sense it, the same spirit that emanated from that boy."

Hiltz nodded in agreement. "But there's something different about their spirit, there's something more to it than from what I've sensed before in Takuya."

* * *

Smoke filled the clearing where Takuya and Flayhm were. 

Flayhm smiled as he vanished for in the clearing stood an warrior wearing a red-colored armor that had golden linings. Underneath the armor he was wearing black over-alls and a white chest plate.

His face was hidden underneath a mask with only his eyes and the lower half of his face visible. He had a spiky blond hair and his eyes were blue in color and held the look of fierce determination.

"Level 3 activated!" exclaimed the warrior. "And now…"

Turning towards the direction of the battle, the well-armored warrior rushes in to help.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**A/N:**

Well, this was one of the longest chapters again. It really tired me out to write this what with a lot of things going on around me, lol.

Well, first off, a Happy Christmas to you all (or whatever Christmas is called in your region or whatever it is you're celebrating today).

Thanks to **kryuzei**, **Gold Dragon36**, **Marie Ravenclaw**, **TwinkieTUTUS**, **aniuwolfe**, **Angelheart17**, **takumiroxsox**, **egamtaerg**, **Sakaure Savo**, **asdf**, **Nerf-or-Nothing**, **lilMayumii**, **dogluv101**, **milkshakelvr**, **isabelann4114**, **kawaii-firestar**, **mysticalruby**, **CrazyAngel313**, **Megmo8214**, **Kari Minamoto**, **BlueLight98**, **amylovestakuya**, **RoMaNTiCiLLuSioNs**, **dbzgtfan2004**, **Takumi4ever**, and **all the others** who have read and reviewed this story! You guys are the best!!

With that said, it's time for me to continue working on the next chapter! So, for now, _ja ne!_


	24. Christmas Special Chapter

**A ****Digimon**** Frontier ****Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a. ****Haru**** Glory)**

* * *

**A/N:**

If you guys thought that I was only going to upload a single chapter for today, well, you're sorta off track, lol.

I present to everyone, a Christmas Special!!! Don't need to read anymore pre-chapter Author's Notes. Hope you like this little something.

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Christmas Special Chapter**

* * *

The sound of waves crashing to the harbor echoed throughout the merchant town of Shore. The people of the said town were in quite a festive mood after all, it was Christmas Time.

With the Christmas in the air everyone was offered more than free food, shelter and a celebration. It was not just a family celebration for the people of Shore, but a celebration that should be celebrated by the whole town together.

Having to go and venture to such a long distance and learn more of their destiny, our Heroes were, of course, drained of their energy. What with not having much time to rest a long the way. That was why all of them were very much pleased to have time to rest on such regal and comfortable rooms that was offered to them by the town's Mayor after he had read the letter addressed to him.

One would have expected the guests of honor to be present at the celebration prepared for that night, but with Takuya not into banquets and feasts, save of course for Junpei and Tomoki, and with Izumi preferring a simple 'Thank You', Takuya, and Izumi were not present.

The cold and gentle breeze of Shore blew over the harbor, its smell mimicking that of the ocean that it had traversed. It blew the auburn colored hair of the Flame's Chosen One back and forth, swaying with the wind as it blew making it quite messy despite the fact that it was gelled in a spiky manner.

In his eyes one could see a mixture of emotions swirling as he looked over at the distance. The moon shining brightly overhead enhanced his features. His cape, like his hair, danced with the wind revealing his worn out outfit and his armor.

He was worried for his friend's sake. He did not know who this enemy they had met earlier truly was or what his father and the King truly intended to do to his friend. But he could be sure of one thing, it was not going to be pretty.

Lone Island. That was their next destination. The accursed island the Legends spoke of where the Heroes of Old fought against those that of evil intent, once when darkness enveloped the world.

The Vice Commander, Kouji Minamoto had already went on ahead to the island after hearing that Kouji, and quite possibly the Commander and General were there, and tomorrow, he, Tomoki, Junpei and Izumi would follow him to save Kouji, Commander Orimoto and General Minamoto.

He smiled at the thought that he was finally by her side once again.

He had awaited for that moment when they would once again be together, as they were meant to be, and finally, after a long time and after all the ordeals he had to go through, his dream was finally made into a reality. It was a rough road in order for it to happen, but it was worth it. Now, if only it was a peaceful time.

At the thought of all that was happening, He could not help but wonder if he had burdened her with how much he depended on her presence. And amidst the worries in his heart for all that is happening, he could not help but worry if something like what happened before, when she risked her life to save him and almost lost it, would happen again.

He clenched his fists. He certainly could not forgive himself if things like that would happen again.

But, if there was one thing the young warrior was not certain of, it was concerning his strength and ability to protect those whom he cared for – his friends.

He sighed amidst the crashing of the waves and the sound of merriment emanating from the festivities inside the town.

Not far in the distance, Izumi watched over the Takuya. She was quite worried of him, and she knew not what she would do. Should she go over to him over at the harbor, or wait for his return to the castle? After all, she was partially to blame for him suddenly stomping out of the room. She should have just kept her thoughts to herself.

She was still debating to herself as to what to do when she saw Takuya walk over to a crate and sat down on it. He was fumbling something from his pocket.

"I wonder what Takuya's doing." She wondered to herself.

It took a while for Takuya to take out what it was he was looking for – his Ocarina, and after finding it, he immediately began to play.

Izumi had never heard Takuya play his Ocarina before since he never once indulged in doing so when one of their companions ask him to. The tune that came from his playing however, was quite solemn but at the same time it was relaxing.

They say that each melody has a story to tell; each melody has a voice that hopes to reach the ears of those who are able to hear it. For a Wind's Chosen One like Izumi, being able to listen to these voices and to their stories was an easy feat now that she was able to control Level 3.

Through the melody, Izumi understood how the Takuya felt. She learned of his worries; of his anxieties; of his fears. For one as kindhearted and strong-willed as Takuya, Izumi was not surprised at some of his concerns for such concerns were typically of his character, but quite taken aback at others. Most of his concerns was because of that small fight that they had earlier.

Deciding that Takuya needs someone to confine to, Izumi had no choice but to do so. She was his friend, after all. His companion.

Izumi then walked towards where Takuya was playing. Noticing that he was not alone, Takuya stopped and looked behind him only to be greeted by Izumi.

"So, this is where you ran off to." Izumi said as she walked towards him while her eyes viewed the oceans. "I was wondering where you were."

Takuya nodded. "Well, I'm not really into parties. I much prefer to be out here right now. Besides, why do you care? You clearly told me that I was a good-for-nothing idiot who did not even bother to tell his friends that he was still alive."

Izumi stared at him then replied, "Well, maybe you aren't a good-for-nothing, but you certainly are an idiot. Do you even have an idea on how we felt, how I felt when I went to your funeral?

Takuya cringed. He did not like talking about that, but still he retorted. "I know very well how you guys felt. I was secluded from you all and banned to even let you know I was alive for fear that you and everyone else might lose your life, your freedom and everything else because of me. Besides, I was also there…I felt as much pain as you did if not more!"

Izumi glared at him, then remembering what she learned she sighed. "Well then I'm sorry for having called you that."

Takuya, albeit surprised at her sudden change said, "Anyway, why were you looking for me?"

"Well, you stormed out of the room, and well, I decided to apologize so I went to look for you, but when I saw you weren't in the party, I thought you went off to the Island by yourself." Came the reply. "To make it short, I was…worried about you…"

Takuya blushed a little, he was thankful though as the clouds covered the moon enough to hide his face. "You didn't have to worry about that."

Takuya then turned around to face the direction of Lone Island. A grim expression was etched on his face. Izumi understood at once and said, "You're worried about Kouji and Kouichi, aren't you?"

Takuya nods. "Tomorrow, we'll be heading over to Lone Island. I'm not just worried of the status Kouichi and the other's well-being when we get there, but also of the one we are to face. We don't even have any idea of who we are going to face there."

"That certainly doesn't sound like the Takuya I can recall. You've certainly changed not just in appearance, Takuya." Izumi commented, then added. "No matter who the enemy is, or are, we always end up victorious anyways, right? So why worry?"

Silence was the Takuya's answer to this. He wanted to say that he was not just worried for his sake. He wanted to say that he was not just worried for Kouichi's and Kouji's sake. He wanted to say that he was worried of her above all else.

But he decided not to. He knew that she would just brush it off and say that there was no need of worry, after all she has Kaizen and she has already reached Level 3.

"You shouldn't worry too much, Takuya." Izumi said. "You should know by now that this is not your fight alone. There are many who supports you now, much more than before."

Takuya smiled sincerely. He thought of Tomoki. He thought of Junpei. He thought of Chiaki. He even thought of Katsuharu and Teppei. He no longer has a family to call his own, what with his father being demented and all, but now, he knew he made a new one.

He then remembered all the others they have met during the vastness of their travels, and at that time, he realized how true Izumi's words were.

"Thank You, Izumi." Takuya said as he turned around and smiled at her. "I guess you are right."

Izumi grinned. "Now, why don't you play something more lively with that instrument of yours. I don't think that it doesn't suit you to play a somber tune like the one you were playing minutes ago."

Takuya was surprised, he thought that Izumi did not hear him play. That he had been alone during that time.

"Y-You heard that?" Takuya asked taken aback.

Izumi nodded. "Why? Should I have not?"

Takuya shook his head. "No, of course that is not what I meant."

"Then perhaps you have no wish for me to hear you play anything?" Izumi was guessing with a hint of playfulness in her voice.

"I did not say that either!" Takuya said, shaking his head frantically. How he wished at that moment that Izumi wasn't as forceful as she was. "It's just that…"

"Just that what?" She asked.

He shook his head one last time, then said, "Forget about it. I'll just play another song, okay?"

"Okay," Izumi said happily, then added, "but before you do, can we go some place else? I want to hear it in a quiet place, that way I can indulge myself in your music."

Takuya scratched the back of his head then nodded. "Okay, whatever you say, Izumi."

The pair began to walk back towards the town, heading their way at the garden. After Takuya checked that there was nobody else around, he sat down and Izumi followed and sat beside him.

"Why are you making such a big deal of this, Izumi?" Takuya asked.

"I'm not making a big deal out of it, it's just that, I haven't heard you play any musical instruments even when we were young." Izumi pointed out in an almost shouting manner.

"Geez, alright, no need to shout." Takuya said.

But before she could even react even more, Takuya had already begun playing a different melody than that of his first song. As he played this melody, he thought to himself how much he wanted to play at his best for the person sitting next to him.

He poured his heart and soul to this performance. A performance he wanted to be a medium for thanking her.

As Izumi listened to the voices of the melody, she could not help but smile. She could hear it clearly, the voice of Takuya's heart, and she understood what he wanted to tell her. At that moment, snow began to pour gently covering Shore in white.

Takuya felt the snow and instead of stopping, he continued on playing his melody. Izumi opened the palm of her hand to let a snow crystal fall on it. Takuya eyed her and thought to himself how the snow makes her even more goddess-like to his eyes. He made a solemn promise to himself that he would then play to no other but her.

He felt stupid thinking back on starting a fight with her earlier that day. How he forgot that it was Christmas and that he forgot to give her any gift. When he thought about it now when he was playing his Ocarina, it only fuelled his desire to play his very best – to give a 120 percent.

In her mind however, Izumi thought that even as the dawn of a new battle draws near, she was still happy. Tomorrow, they would venture off into Lone Island to their friends, the General and, of course, her father. They do not know what will happen there but even so, she told herself that she would think nothing of it for tonight. Because for tonight, She knew that she would never forget this performance. A performance from Takuya to her on a white Christmas Day.

To her, this was better than any suitor, or anybody else could have given her on such a blessed day.

* * *

**A/N:**

Well, that's that for my Christmas Special, lol.

I made another fanfic like this one with PopoloCrois and just edited that one and turned it into this, but I have to say that this was way better than the original.

Anyway, as I have said, this isn't set anywhere near the chapter before it (Knight Blazer) or the chapter that I will upload after this one. This is sort of a futuristic look on this fanfic, although on how far that future is…well, that remains as a secret wink.

I think I made enough of a reconciliation with everyone who had been dying to read new chapters from this fanfic, so until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" and signing out!

P.S

Don't forget to review, 'kay?


	25. Eyes of the Guardian

**A ****Digimon**** Frontier ****Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (****a.k.a****Haru**** Glory)**

**A/N:**

Okay guys, before I start forgetting on what to do today, I'd first like to greet everyone a Blessed New Year! Another year has gone by and now that we are all facing a brand new year, let's all do our best as we have done in the year gone by.

As a New Year's gift to all of you, here's another chapter for The Rabbit on the Moon. Remember, this chapter follows the chapter before the previous one (before the Christmas Special).

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Eyes of the Guardian**

Katsuharu panted as he redirected another flame blast from Krad back to him only to find that such a counter attack does little damage to their foe. His knees were already shaking and as he looked back towards his comrades, he also knew that they too were close to collapsing.

"Damn it, where the heck is that brat?" Katsuharu muttered to himself as he wiped a sweat drop from his forehead. "Just where the heck are you, Takuya?!"

"You're pretty good considering the fact that you're close to your limit." Krad said with a smirk on his face. "Unfortunately, this is the end for you!"

With that, Krad stretched forth his hands at the same time that, on the other side of the battlefield, Kira also stretched her hand. From the palm of their hands emerged two large balls of flame.

The balls of flame grew larger by the second and the heat emanating from them began to grow in intensity as well. Izumi could not believe her eyes, nor her other senses. She could not believe that the same type of power that had once was used to save her and her friends would be the same power that would destroy them. She was frozen in her spot just like the rest of them.

Teppei touched the earth beneath him, and then thought for a second. "Even if I use my power here and now, the intensity of the flames would only melt it into a lava and that would put us in more trouble than we already are in…" Then he looked over at Chiaki and thought, "Chiaki can't use her power to fight off this attack, her power isn't enough to even match this…and neither can the Captain bounce it back to them. Damn it!"

The two enemies smirked as they could almost taste their victory.

"We didn't really want to destroy you all, after all, the Master still needs the five of you, unfortunately, there are things that just can't be helped." Kira shouted.

And with that they let go off their attack whilst shouting the name of their technique, "COSMIC BLAST!".

The attack was slow, but all knew that even if they would make a run for it, they would not make it and most of them can't even move from their position.

When the attack finally hits them, a powerful gust of wind caused them to squint their eyes. Izumi held onto Tomoki who was light enough to be caught flying in the air. Kouji stuck his sword on the ground and used it to stop himself from being blown away. Junpei did the same as Kouji. Teppei, Katsuharu and Chiaki all were on the ground.

Just then, something flashed by.

Izumi could only see a blurry image for she was already close to losing consciousness, but somehow, she could not help that there was something familiar in the atmosphere. Her last thoughts before she fainted was that of Takuya…

His eyes did not falter and nor did his stance as he stood in the middle of the two powerful forces. His arms outstretched to his side, he sucked in the roaring ball of fire into nothingness.

At that time, his back was turned against Kira and Krad who was in shock to see something like that even possible.

"What?" Kira exclaimed, "How could that be possible? Who is this man?!"

Turning around slowly, He glared at the two. "I can not forgive you for trying to hurt these people!"

Kira cringed at the tone of his voice but Krad seemed not to mind. Krad's urge to fight was not yet satisfied, so it seems.

"What are you going to do then?" Krad asked, his eyes showing more thirst for blood than ever.

He did not answer.

"I have to say, I'm quite surprised that someone alive is able to disperse our strongest combined attack like that." Krad went on. "Having the power of the Ancient Flames, that feat is something impossible, and I wouldn't have believed that it could be done if I hadn't seen it myself."

"Ancient Flames?" Tomoki asked, "You're not saying that that is the power you wield, are you!? That's impossible! There's only one person who can wield that in this time and that's Takuya!"

Krad smirked. "I guess you haven't heard then…what science can do."

"Krad, that's enough!" Kira said, "We are not authorized to give information about _that_, especially not to these people."

Takuya, who was still wearing his armor turned to face Katsuharu. "Captain Katsuharu, take them to safety and leave these guys to me. I'll meet up with you later."

Katsuharu was surprised, it was only then that he realized whom he was talking to. "It's about time you arrived. Very well, be careful, brat."

Takuya nodded. "I will."

Katsuharu, Teppei and Chiaki then helped Junpei and Kouji in escaping with Izumi and Tomoki. As they were running off, Kira went to follow them only to be stopped by Takuya who suddenly appeared in front of her.

"I can't let you do that." Takuya said as he let out a fierce, fiery punch aimed towards Kira who took the hit and was sent flying. "I normally wouldn't hit a woman, but, this case is a whole lot different…"

Then he faced Krad. "Now, you're turn. I'll make sure to pay you back for hurting Lady Izumi and the others."

"This should be interesting." Krad said as he readied himself to battle.

Silence filled the air. A silence that you could hear a pin drop. As quickly and sudden as the silence befall the battlefield did the battle begin.

Krad let out a furry of attacks with his flaming axe. Takuya smirked as Flayhm told him in his mind that such attacks would do no damage to him.

"This guy isn't serious about fighting you with fire, is he?" Flayhm said.

"He doesn't know who I am, Flayhm…and that would be his downfall."

* * *

Katsuharu cringed as he held his injured side waiting for Chiaki to heal him. He could still not imagine how Takuya was able to pull off the Level 3 power of his element.

"Tell me, Captain," Teppei said in a hushed voice. "that masked, armored warrior…that's _him_, isn't it?"

Katsuharu nodded. "We're lucky that he came when he did, if he had been a second late then we would all have been destroyed."

"Well, if that's the case, why do you seem troubled even if we're already out of danger?" Teppei queried.

"Who said we are out of danger?" Katsuharu asked back, then added. "There are a lot more things to worry about now."

"You speak of those two, don't you?" Chiaki said as she too joined in the discussion. "The two who can use the same power as _him_."

Katsuharu nodded. "How is it possible that they have the same ability as that brat? What's more, now that Takuya has reached the third level of his power, it would even be harder for us to keep him in check. Who knows when he'll be able to break the seal we placed on him?"

"You're still worried about that seal?" Chiaki asked with a sigh as she began on healing Katsuharu's wounds. "Didn't I already assure you that we didn't need the seal in the first place?"

"You can never be too careful, Chiaki, especially not with that brat." Teppei said.

Just then, Kouji went towards them. When they felt his presence, they immediately decided to change the topic of their discussion.

"I don't know who you people are, but we owe you our lives." Kouji said. "I can't thank you enough."

"No need to mention it, Vice Captain Minamoto." Katsuharu said, his eyes gazing at Chiaki's healing hands. "We did what we have been tasked to do, nothing more, nothing less."

"Wait, how do you know who I am?" Kouji asked.

"We'll explain later, but no need to fret, we are allies not enemies." Katsuharu replied as he stood up and gazed to where the loud explosions were coming from. "We need to wait for him to return so that we can head towards the place where you can all be safe."

"Him? You mean that masked guy in the armor?"

Katsuharu nodded but said no more leaving Kouji to wonder to himself who these people really are.

* * *

"Damn, Damn, DAMN!" Krad shouted as he forced himself back up again. "Just who the hell are you?"

Takuya did not bother to answer, instead he said, "Had enough yet?"

Krad gritted his teeth. His anger welling up inside of him. He had never felt so humiliated in his life for he had never been badly bruised as he was now. Add that to his confusion as to why his strongest attacks do not work on this masked warrior and you will know how very pissed Krad was.

"I suggest you go back to wherever you and that female friend of yours came from before I decide to get serious in this battle." Takuya said.

Krad's eyes grew wide as he thought to himself, "He wasn't serious that time?"

Silence was the answer. It took a while before Takuya received a death glare from his opponent who swore to make him pay when they meet again before disappearing with his female companion.

Takuya sighed and when he sensed that he was alone and no one was watching, he reverted back to his old self.

"That was close." Takuya said huffing and puffing.

"You bet." Flayhm said. "If you would have continued fighting that guy, you would have turned back as you are now and you would have no way of winning then."

"Actually I would have, that guy uses flames just like I do…which reminds me, how is that even possible? You told me that I'm supposed to be the only one to be able to do that, right?"

Flayhm nodded, his eyes closed as he too thought of the reason why. "You ARE the only who can use my power, Takuya. So I don't have the slightest clue as to why those people can also do that. Anyway, I would not have allowed you to fight them as you are. Those people seemed to be a part of your father's entourage and by letting you fight with no protection for your true identity will mean trouble for us all."

Takuya nodded after realizing that. He had not even thought about that outcome before, for he was too into the battle to even realize it.

"Anyway, we better head to where the others are." Flayhm said, then added, "By the way Takuya, I think you could still manage a few more hours of being the Masked Warrior."

"What are you saying?"

"Well, you're not going to fight, so that's alright, I can manage to keep you in that form just so Izumi and the others don't realize who you are." Flayhm explained. "I believe that this isn't the best time for them to know that you're still alive."

Takuya sighed. His guardian was right. So with another flash of light, Takuya transformed back into the mysterious masked warrior.

"For now, I'll be content at seeing Izumi through your eyes, Flayhm." Takuya thought to himself as he walked to where his friends were gathered waiting for him to join them.

**To be continued…**

**A/N:**

Well, I'm not pretty happy about this chapter since it seemed like I made a couple of mistakes – typos and the likes, but this will do for now since I think I won't be able to update for a while (not too long, I hope).Classes will start this week, quite early if you ask me, so I may be a bit busy. But I will still try to squeeze in some time for writing.

Anyways, this is as far as I am going to write for now, so once again a Blessed New Year to everyone, this is Sakura Martinez signing out, until next time!!!

BTW, thanks for the reviews you guys!


	26. Onwards to Shore

**A ****Digimon**** Frontier ****Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez (****a.k.a****Haru**** Glory)**

**[A/N:**

**I hope people haven't forgotten about me or my ****fanfic**** yet despite the fact that I ****haven' t**** visited FFN nor written here in a long, long, long time. It's been a busy, busy time in my life for a while now, what with my thesis project, my business (as a video editor, animator and special effects artist), and a bunch of other things. I could have only wished that I had a lot more time to give in writing since this is my passion and what I love to do.**

**Anyways, here's the newest chapter for The Rabbit on the Moon. I hope you guys enjoy it!**

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Onwards To Shore**

Katsuharu paced back and forth as he waited for Takuya to return. It has already been quite a while since the final explosion was heard and yet there were still no sign of Takuya, or in this case, the armored warrior. Chiaki had been the one to disagree when Teppei had brought the idea of going on ahead to the nearest town, and even though he did not like the brat, Katsuharu had a responsibility to uphold as a Captain of this squad.He sighed. He could not throw the possibility that Takuya might have been defeated, after all, he was taught to never let his guard down. He could not help to think of the problem at hand when Takuya does return.Not so far from where he stood, there were those people – Takuya's so-called friends, being treated by Chiaki. It was already out of the question to split up with these people after they had begged them to help retrieve their friend, a person by the name of Koichi Kimura, from the brat's father and the King. It was troublesome, but in a way, it would make their job of guarding them easier.But then, the thought of the seal placed on Takuya being weakened and ultimately breaking was a troublesome matter. It had been instructed that they were to prevent that from happening. The reason for this was yet to be known. But, orders are orders and it is his job as a Captain to make sure that these orders were followed and fulfilled.

But…

Ever since they had obtained those orders, things suddenly began to get complicated. And now, with the appearance of someone who has the same power to manipulate flames as Takuya, things had only gotten from bad to worse."Just what the heck is really going on?" Katsuharu thought to himself.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Flashback…_It had been a warm, clear morning, the kind of day that is perfect for outdoor activities and as it was, that was the thought of most of the people in the city. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the peace and tranquility that they have and all seem to have no cares for the moment.Inside a large manor however, Katsuharu had been called to meet with the Head of the Organization."You called for me, your Majesty?" Katsuharu asked.A woman who looked like she was in her forties nodded. "Yes, it seems that you and your squad are the only people I can entrust this to since it concerns the boy.""The Kanbara kid? What about him?" Katsuharu asked confused as to what Takuya had done this time. "Don't tell me he caused another ruckus…he's only been here for a week but it already seems like he caused enough problems for a lifetime.""No, he hasn't done anything major at the moment." The woman replied. "But, it is much delicate as compared to when he tried to talk with the Orimoto child that time." At those words, Katsuharu was already all ears and seeing this she continued, "I believe you already know what problems may arise once the enemy learns that he is still alive. You may also recall that I already have noted before that such a problem could also arise if Takuya Kanbara manages to talk to Izumi Orimoto or to any of his friends. If the enemy learns of what we already know who knows what they will do. And so, we have to make sure that our fears do not come to pass...that is, until we are strong enough to fight against the evil threatening this world."Katsuharu nodded."I think you already know where I am going to go with this conversation, Captain."Katsuharu nodded again. "You want us to perform the 'seal', isn't that right, Your Majesty?"The woman nodded. "I will also let you deal with talking with him. Make sure you explain things to him thoroughly. Also, do not forget to tell him what would happen if he forces himself to break the seal.""Yes, of course." Katsuharu said. "Is there anything else, your highness?""Yes, there is one other thing." The woman said as she went to take a small box out from a hidden compartment in the shelves. "Give the contents of this box to him as well and instruct him to wear it at all times…it is, after all, for his own sake."Katsuharu nodded as he took the box. He saluted before leaving the room wondering how he would explain it to the brat._End of Flashback…__------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Katsuharu let out another sigh. It had seemed like an easy task at that time, but now it…it was another matter.A sudden movement to his right and the rustling sound made him alert as he drew his sword and shouted, "Who goes there?"

From out of the bushes emerged Takuya, sweat trickling down his face which was covered with dirt. His eyes showed hints of fatigue that made even Katsuharu worried.

"Sorry it took so long." Takuya said in between breaths. "I had to rest a couple of times since having to access Level 3 and at the same time stay in that form can really take a toll on a person.

Katsuharu glanced over to where Izumi and the others were before motioning Takuya over to follow him. Takuya did so and the two walked away from the others, deeper and deeper towards the forest.

When Katsuharu was certain that they were out of earshot and that Izumi and her companions would not see them, he spoke, "I take it you managed to defeat them?" Takuya nodded. Katsuharu then continued, "And? Did you find out anything?""Not as much as what I think you already know." Takuya said as he sat down and rested himself, taking off the hood of his cloak to reveal his tired facial features. "Those people, especially the one I fought, their powers feel like they were the same as mine only a bit different. It's hard to explain, but the question that comes to mind is why do they have the same power to manipulate flames as I have? I thought such a power is only limited to a 'Chosen One'.""I don't know why, but The Organization would certainly take a closer look on this once they get word of what just happened." Katsuharu supposed as he shook his head. "There is something you should know, Takuya, although The Organization has already placed the mission of watching over your friends on our hands, I don't believe that they would be as pleased as you when they learn that we will be travelling with them for some time."Takuya was taken back by those words as he asked, "Wha—What do you mean?!""I don't know if those people – the ones you fought, mentioned anything about it but, it seems like your colleague, the one by the name of Koichi Kimura, has been taken by them…based on what your friends had said, they are certain that he was forced to go with them only to save his grandfather." Katsuharu explained, his eyes closed as he did not hide the fact that he was also tired and so, he did not see the worried and horrified expression on Takuya's face. "After we saved them, they asked us to help them rescue this Kouichi person and it so happens that we agreed to their request, after all, it is no secret that your father and the King are behind this."Takuya nodded. "I could guess where you're going with this conversation. You're worried about my blabbing something of who I am or them finding out the truth, right?"Katsuharu sighed then nodded. "It's no longer my place to say anything about that. Things has just become complicated and I am at a lost as to what to do now. That's why…"

"That's why?""That's why we are heading back to meet with the Leader." Katsuharu finished.

If Takuya was surprised he did not let it show, but his eyes show detest to the idea. He could still remember what the Leader of the Organization looked like, after all, who could possibly forget that masked woman's face and her eyes that seem to pierce through anyone as if digging deep into that person's soul. That woman, the person that Katsuharu and his people call 'Leader' was daunting yet, at the same time, she had the air of elegance that one could only find within the circle of royalty. But no matter how elegant she was, Takuya could not bear to like the person.

The silence made Katsuharu assume that Takuya was fine by it, although he wasn't even bothering to ask whether he was all right with it, after all, it was him – Katsuharu – who is in command.

"We will leave for the Headquarters first thing tomorrow." Katsuharu said, then added. "For now, we need to rest."

Takuya nodded and stood up. But before he could walk back up to where the others were, Katsuharu stopped him. "Wait a moment, Takuya."Turning around, Takuya nodded, "Don't worry about it. With things as they are, Izumi and the others already has a lot on their mind for me to even think about telling them who I really am. I'll keep on pretending as a vagabond by the name of 'Shin', if that's alright with you, _Captain_."

Katsuharu nodded before letting the young Kanbara walk away with his hood over his head.

Takuya let his cold expression resurface his facial expression. It was the same expression that he had always planted on his face ever since the seal was placed on him. He had already made up his mind, although it was hard and it would feel like tearing up his heart, he was going to pretend that he was some cold-hearted person. His eyes turned crimson as he once again used Flayhm's eyes as his own and his hair also changed to a darker color and became spiky just like his Spirit Guardian's.

"Are you sure about this?" Flayhm asked telepathically after being quiet for a long time. "Is this really what you want, Takuya?"

"For now, I do not have a choice, Flayhm." Takuya said hiding his emotions. "I meant what I said before. Izumi is already worried about Kouji's safety, and they all have anxieties brewing in them, it would be wrong of me to tell them the truth about my identity."

"But…we're so close." Flayhm said. And he was about to add something more when Takuya cut him off saying, "It's not time yet. We'll keep on going like this until the time is right."

This silenced the Spirit Guardian. At that point, Izumi and the others finally noticed the cloaked man standing beside Katsuharu, and at that moment, Katsuharu introduced him to Izumi's entourage.

"Well, we're finally complete." Katsuharu began. "This man here is the person who helped us out. His a vagabond by the name of Shin."

Takuya nodded. And when Izumi caught a closer glimpse of him she was suddenly reminded of who he was.

"You!" Izumi suddenly blurted out which surprised everyone and made Takuya, Katsuharu, Teppei and Chiaki worried. "I know you!"

Takuya did not make his emotion of surprise and bewilderment visible, instead he just stared at Izumi.

"You're the person who was playing the harmonica that time." Izumi said.

"You two have already met before?" Katsuharu asked to Takuya in particular.

"I seem to remember it now, she was the one who was listening when I was playing by the fountain in the city." Takuya explained. "I did not think that we would meet again, and in such a predicament. I heard what happened to your friend."

"Yes." Izumi said. "I could not express how thankful I am that you and your companions are going to help us retrieve our friend."

Takuya sighed then looked at Katsuharu who nodded. He then said, with a rather cold voice, "It wasn't my idea, so don't thank me. I'm only following what the _Captain_ there had decided."

Izumi, who was suddenly taken aback by the cold way the person whom he had just talked to at the city before had spoke that she could only stammer "O-Okay."

Silence filled the air for a while before Katsuharu cleared his throat and said, "Alright, Miss Orimoto, we will help you as promised, but first, we must head somewhere. I need to speak with someone first, it is an urgent matter."

"Can you elaborate further just where we are headed?" Kouji asked, suspicious of the people around him. "I can't help but ask."

Katsuharu nodded. "Yes, of course. We're headed for the Town of Shore."

"Shore?" Tomoki asked. "Isn't that the town where the King and his wife were said to have been born, right? Why there?"

"It sounds risky for us to head there after what just happened." Junpei said. "It's obvious that the King sent those guys after us, right?"

"There's nothing to worry about." Chiaki assured them. "The King nor his people had not visited Shore for a long time, about a year, I think, besides that Shore's already an independent city that even boasts as the capital of a new country."

"Yes, that's right." Teppei chimed in. "No one would dare follow us there, especially anyone from the King's forces. Besides, it will really help if we stop over there first."

As they were talking among themselves, Takuya took this as the time for him to back away from the group as he walked underneath a tree and slumped down. He was still tired and keeping Flayhm's eyes and hair was taking a toll on him making him tired even more.

He sighed. He was tired, really, really tired. Then he caught a glimpse of her and his eyes lingered on her for a while before he closed them just in time before she could see him take a look at her.

It was enough for now. That was what Takuya reminded himself at that time. He kept on playing that phrase over and over his head before finally drifting off to sleep.

A couple of minutes later and the discussion among the group finally ended and everyone agreed to get some rest while Katsuharu and Kouji watch over them as they do so.

On the way to his spot, Katsuharu walked past Takuya and his eyes lingered on him for a bit before sighing inwardly.

The young captain was still unsure of what to think with the person sleeping in front of him. He did not know whether to pity him or be annoyed of him.

He dispersed the thought before moving on to his destination. It has already been decided that they would head for the City of Shore the first thing tomorrow, and with that, he felt confident that he would know of his standpoint on regards to the boy when they get there.

"For now, he deserves to rest." Katsuharu thought as he gazed towards the landscape before him.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**

**[A/N:**

**It wasn't as long as what I would have wanted it to be due to time constraints, but I still managed to end it where I would like to have this chapter ended.**

**sigh I have missed writing so much and as I pound away at my keyboard, I suddenly felt that I am home after a long, long time. Anyways, I would love to hear from you guys again especially concerning your thoughts on this chapter. I have to admit, having a lot of chapters but so few reviews **_**is**_** kind of depressing in a way. After all, you aren't sure if ****people are still reading or does**** like your work.**

**I have also planned on uploading it earlier (yesterday or the day before) but I was so caught up in watching American Idol that I forgot to do so and I only had time now. **

**Before I sign out, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, the readers, and those who continuously review my stories. You guys are the inspiration that keeps me writing so I appreciate you all…a lot!**

**With that said, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out!**

**BTW, if you guys are curious as to ****who**** I am supporting for AI (American Idol) then I would have to say ****Ramielle****Malubay****lol**** well**** then, ****ja**** ne!**


	27. Over the Rough Waters

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic  
By: Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)**

**[A/N:**

I would never have thought of updating this fanfic at this time. No, not because I'm facing a writer's block, but rather, because I am (or should I say was) busy and I was hoping for some R&R (Rest and Relaxation…not Read and Review…although that is what I want most of my readers to do – to read and review my fanfics, lol). But it seems that fate has something else instored for me as I was dragged by some mysterious force to face my laptop and continue on with the story… Well, it's not really a bad thing since I had been wanting to continue on with this. Anyway, I guess you guys had waited for a while now for an update so without further delays. Here's the chapter entitled: Over the Rough Waters. Hope you guys enjoy! BTW, if you want to thank someone for me continuing this story at this time, thank that mysterious force…lol.

Now, onwards to reading!

**The Rabbit on the Moon  
Over the Rough Waters**

The breeze blew over head as the ship sped on forwards. The smell of the ocean fills their nostrils as they allowed time to pass by, relaxing on the deck of the ship that they had 

managed to make a contract with. Sea gulls followed in their wake as the sun shone brightly over the clear blue sky above their heads.

Takuya stood, his black, spiky hair swayed along with the wind even if but a little, as he was lost deep in thought. His crimson-colored eyes gazed far into the azure ocean, in them there was not a trace of emotion. So much had happened in such a little time and already they would be returning to the Organization's Headquarters – the place that he did not long to return to.

Although he was organizing his thoughts and although Flahym had been bugging him for a while now asking for all sorts of questions, Takuya was not entirely oblivious to his surroundings. Even with his eyes closed, his heightened senses, thanks to using Flayhm, he could 'see' where the others were and what they were doing. Of course, he could care less about Katsuharu, Teppei, Chiaki or Kouji and his troupe – although he had come to acknowledge them as his friends, or in the case of the three members of the organization, his companions, the person whom he was truly thinking of was none other than Izumi Orimoto.

She had recognized him, as he had thought she would, as Shin, the person whom she met back in the city. He had also acted cold and cruelly to her as instructed by Katsuharu and he saw the pained expression in her eyes. Takuya placed a hand on his chest, it had hurt to see her like that even as she was only hurt by the fact that she thought she could befriend the person who saved their lives.

His brows furrowed as he asked himself how long this charade would have to go. He had been longing to tell her, to admit to her that the person whom she thought was dead is living and is with her. He had yet to hear from her own lips the answer to those three words that he had told her that night – the night she had, most likely, thought of to be their farewell.

"Don't think too much of it, Takuya." Flayhm said in a serious tone.

Takuya nodded inwardly, "I know."

On the other side of the ship, Izumi was having her own discussion with her Spirit Guardian, Kaizen.

"What are you saying, Kaizen? Isn't that impossible?" Izumi asked.

"It is," replied the guardian, "that's why I decided to tell you. I don't know why, but for some reason or another, I can sense the Spirit of Fire. It's only faint at the moment, but there are times when I could sense it as strong a force as any."

Izumi did not know what to say. So, Kaizen saw this as an opportunity to continue. "What's more, there's another energy similar to it that is growing more and more stronger as we approach Shore. I can't help but worry that we may be heading for a trap."

At that Izumi straightened. "Are you saying those people are not to be trusted?"

"I'm not sure if they are friends or foes, but it wouldn't hurt to keep our guard up just in case." Was the guardian's reply.

Izumi nodded and turned around to face the vast ocean. She was worried of what Kaizen had told her – of this ominous energy that seems to be coming their way. Either it is heading for their direction and if they are the ones heading to its direction is another matter all together that still needs attention. She decided to mention it to Kouji.

But, what has really caught her attention was the fact that Kaizen had been sensing the Spirit of Fire – Takuya's spirit energy for quite a while now. It was impossible, she was sure of it. Although it pained her to admit it, she knew that he was already dead. A thought then suddenly occurred to her, an impossible yet somewhat probable though…What if his father just faked his death so that they would stop whatever plans they have of rescuing him?

Izumi was suddenly brought back to reality when Junpei suddenly arrived calling for her.

"Lady Izumi, I had been looking all over for you!" Junpei said as he rushed over to where Izumi stood. "The Vice-Commander asked me to find you and bring you to him. It seems that there is something he wishes to discuss with us."

"Something he wishes to discuss?" Izumi asked.

Junpei nodded and Izumi sighed. She had no choice then, she would have to go along with him. It would have been better if it was Kouji who would have looked for her and found her, that way she could have told him of the Spirit Energies that Kaizen felt. She could not afford to discuss it publicly with the others since she has yet to determine where Katsuharu and the other's loyalties lie.

On their way to the cabin where Kouji and Katsuharu instructed everyone to meet up, Izumi and Junpei accidentally bumped into Takuya, who was on his way to his room.

"Oh," Izumi said, surprised. "I'm sorry."

Takuya simply stared back at her, but Izumi caught a glimpse of surprise in his crimson eyes as well.

"Come on, Lady Izumi." Junpei said. "Lord Kouji's waiting."

"Oh, right." Izumi said, then turned to look towards Takuya, who was already walking off. "Hey, Lord Shin, are you not going to listen whatever your Captain and Lord Kouji is going to say?"

Takuya looked back and replied in a nonchalant tone, "Not interested. Whatever it is that you all have to talk about probably does not concern me. After all, I'm only just an extra hand to the entourage." And without another word, he on his way.

"That guy really needs to learn some manners." Junpei said once Takuya was out of earshot. "He's much too obnoxious!"

"He wasn't like that when we met before." Izumi voiced out. "Beside's someone who could play a music so beautiful can't be evil, can he?"

Junpei seemed not to care about what Izumi said and instead went on ahead to the cabin where the others were waiting.

"What took you guys so long?" Kouji asked, a worried expression on his face.

"We bumped into that obnoxious guy." Junpei replied.

"Obnoxious guy?" Kouji asked.

"The person they call 'Shin'." Junpei answered, then turned his attention to Katsuharu. "Which reminds me, why didn't you call him for this?"

Katsuharu simply shrugged. "He's not really part of my unit. He's just, shall we call it, a mercenary. Besides, there's really no need for everyone to be here. Your Vice Commander just thought it would be best."

Kouji nodded and he began to discuss details among the others concerning their journey to Shore and Katsuharu gave them an overview of what to expect. In the middle of the discussion, Tomoki took the opportunity to talk with Izumi privately.

"What is it, Tomoki?" Izumi asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Have your guardian felt it again as well?" Tomoki suddenly asked which caught Izumi off guard. "The energies that are identical with Takuya's spirit energy?"

Izumi nodded after a while. "Yes, Kaizen just mentioned it a couple of minutes ago. Kaizen said that she had been feeling it for a while, but only faintly."

Tomoki acknowledged her answer. "Hiltz said the same thing, the only time it was really evident even to us was during that time when we were fighting with those guys. This is getting confusing. Is there a possibility that the King might have found a way to use the energy and manipulate it?"

"How could they have? When Takuya was killed thanks to them the experiments were only just in their early stage and they have little information on how to contain his spirit energy as a Chosen One."

Tomoki closed his eyes for a while trying to think of something. 

"Well, what do you suppose we do, Tomoki?" Izumi asked.

"For now, we get back with the others. I don't think we should go mentioning this to them. We're already on a lot of trouble as it is, we don't want to worry them much more." Tomoki replied, then added, "Let's just follow what our Spirit Guardians say and keep our eyes peeled open for anything."

"Right." Izumi nodded in agreement. 

When she turned around and was about to walk off, Tomoki placed a hand on her shoulder, "Lady Izumi, I know that you're hoping that Takuya is miraculously alive and that his father just faked his death or whatever. But, don't let your hopes up to high, okay? Everyone was worried when you heard the news of his death. We know how broken your heart was at that time, but only hoping for something and getting your hopes crushed would make us even more worried."

And with that, Tomoki went on ahead to join the others leaving Izumi all to herself.

"I know that, Tomoki." She told the empty hallway, "But to hope is better than having no hope at all, even if it's what others would call pointless."

Night came and everyone had already gathered in the deck to share dinner. The stars shone brightly reflecting their brilliance in the ocean's surface as the ship veered to its destination. By that time the next day, everyone had been expecting that they would be in Shore already.

If there was one thing that Izumi's group noticed of Katsuharu's group, it is that they do not often interact with others. One person who seem to avoid any kind of social interaction was Shin. They noticed that during mealtimes, he would always eat his share with so much hurry that would leave one to think that he has other important things to take care of and once he is finished he would just stand up and leave the group without so much as a word. Katsuharu, Teppei and Chiaki seemed not to mind this at all and when questioned they would only say that it would be best to leave him be or something along those lines.

That night was no different from all the other mealtimes that the two groups have shared together. Shin hurriedly ate his food, stood up and left the group.

"He seemed to be very troubled." Tomoki pointed out. "Is there something wrong with him?"

Chiaki shook her head then replied, "It's nothing really, he just has a lot on his mind. That's just how he is ever since we met him several months back."

"He should at least have some manners." Junpei said in between large gulps of his drink. "He's kind of annoying."

"Tell me about it." Teppei said. He looked as if he was about to say more but caught himself before he could continue.

They say that curiosity kills the cat, but there are times when curiosity is a good thing. At that time, Izumi thought that it was and as curiosity got the better of her she decided to take a look and see at whatever it was that their mysterious companion busies himself with. And so, Izumi slipped away from the others unnoticed and followed Shin.

She followed him all over the ship. First he stopped by his room, then after several minutes he went walking around the corridors with Izumi following him whilst hiding behind the shadows. She felt like she was some kind of investigator.

It took a couple of more twists and turns around the corridors until Izumi stopped taken aback by the fact that Shin suddenly vanished.

"How could that be?" Izumi wondered to herself. "Now, where'd he go of to?"

Suddenly from behind someone spoke. "Don't you think it is rude for a lady to be following a person around and spying on that person?"

Stunned, Izumi turned around to be met by the crimson gaze of the person whom she was supposed to be 'investigating'.

Shin continued on staring at her, waiting for an explanation to her answer. Izumi understood it and while stammering, tried to answer his query.

"I'm sorry, Lord Shin. It is just that I was curious as to why you don't like to mingle with the rest of us…and also, it is hard to trust someone who acts as you do."

Shin continued to stare at her for a couple of seconds more before turning around and said, "Trust has always been an issue, hasn't it?"

The comment confused the young lady, and as Shin continued to walk along the corridor and up the stairs leading to the deck. Izumi wanting to learn what Shin had meant and to try and befriend the mysterious stranger, followed him as she also tried to talk to him and make him talk back.

On and on the two walked. Annoyance was evident in Shin's face yet, at the same time, Takuya was glad that he could at least spend some time with the person whom he loves the most. Despite that look that Shin had plastered on his face, Izumi went on and on.

It was as if she was oblivious to where they were going or where they were, which is why she was surprised when Shin suddenly stopped walking. And when she looked around, she found that they were already in the Quarter Deck.

"You should really pay attention to your surroundings, Lady Izumi." Takuya said as he gazed over the shadowy waters reflecting the multitude of stars as it swayed with the breeze. "You were talking about trust, but if you aren't careful enough you might get yourself in trouble. What would have happened if I was someone with an evil intent and when I found out you were following me decided to assault you? What would you do then?"

Izumi looked over at Shin's back. She could see that he was thinking of something, something far away. She replied with a somewhat confident tone in her voice. "I wouldn't worry about that, Lord Shin. I'm pretty capable of defending myself. I'm stronger than I look, you know."

Takuya glanced over at her, then returned to viewing the ocean as the ship continued on with its current course. "Yes, of course. But still, it is as they say, prevention is better than cure. That doesn't just apply to health, you know."

Izumi was surprised by the sudden change of tone from the young crimson-eyed, black haired man. She was expecting some harsh comment or lecture.

"Well, that's really a surprise. You're not as cold as you make everyone think you are. I guess I was right about you." Izumi said, smiling.

Shin raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that, Lady Izumi?"

"I figured you weren't an evil person. After all, I've always believed that those who can play such beautiful and peaceful music, as you did with your harmonica back then, can't possibly do any harm to others." Izumi explained. "Anyway, would you mind playing that music again?"

Shin closed his eyes then said, "You should really avoid being too trusting to people. It may cause you trouble some day. Anyway, I don't feel like playing any songs right now…not only that, but the others might be worried of where you ran off to without telling them."

Izumi was about to say something when Shin suddenly turned around. His eyes went wide open as he saw something shimmering heading their way. At that moment, Flayhm spoke with him telepathically at the same time that Kaizen spoke with Izumi in the same manner.

"Takuya! Move!" Flayhm said.

"Izumi, I feel the dark energy! It's close!" Kaizen said, which surprised Izumi.

Takuya understood at once. Someone was attacking them. Grabbing Izumi's hand, he yanked her down to avoid the projectile heading their way.

The projectile hit the wooden wall near where Shin and Izumi stood and an explosion occurred. With fast reflexes, Shin quickly covered Izumi as debris from the explosion fell all around them.

As soon as the debris stopped falling around, Shin quickly stood up and helped Izumi up and the two of them made a run for it. Taking another root back to the Main Deck of the ship where the others were at.

Meanwhile, the moment the explosion occurred and smoke rose from the Quarter Deck, the ship rocked back and forth. Everyone was alarmed.

"What was that?" Kouji asked.

"It was an explosion!" Katsuharu stated. "Is someone attacking us?"

"No way, how could they find out?" Teppei said.

"Lady Izumi, stay back!" Tomoki said, and at that moment everyone noticed. Izumi was nowhere around.

Panic quickly set into the entourage. At that moment, Hiltz made Tomoki aware of the situation – the same evil energy that they had been feeling for a while is very close and seems to be getting stronger.

"This is bad." Tomoki thought, then talking with Hiltz, asked, "How about Lady Izumi, can you sense her presence?"

A moment passed before Hiltz replied. "She's fine. It seems that Shin is with her."

"That's good." Tomoki said breathing a sigh or relief.

"We better split up and search for her." Kouji said. It was a suggestion that Junpei quickly took. Then, facing Katsuharu said, "We could use all the help we can get. Do you think you can call out that mercenary friend of yours?"

"You don't have to worry about that." Teppei said. "Knowing him, He's probably doing his job already."

Another explosion erupted, this time, much more closer to where they were standing. A couple more minutes later, another explosion. When the smoke cleared up a little, everyone in the deck saw Shin and Izumi with dirt on their faces and clothes running and shouting.

"Everyone! Get back!" Izumi shouted.

"Izumi! Shin!" Everyone shouted back.

Another explosion.

"If this continues, the whole ship will be torn asunder." Chiaki said as flames began erupting from where the explosion occurred.

"What's going on?" Kouji asked as soon as Izumi and Shin were with them. "Where have you two been?"

"Where we've been isn't important right now." Shin replied then added, "Someone tried to ambush us. And it seems that whoever it is, is in cahoots with those people that attacked your group before."

"The fire wielding people?" Junpei asked.

Takuya nodded then looked over at Katsuharu. "_Captain_, you better lead everyone to safety. Leave this guy to me."

"What are you going to do, Shin?" Katsuharu asked as everyone else listened in.

"Fight, of course." Shin replied. "I can't fight to the fullest if I have to worry about my surroundings too much."

"Understood." Katsuharu said after what seemed like forever. Amidst the explosion occurring all around and the panicked screams and noises created by the other passengers, Katsuharu made Shin vow to follow after he had dealt with things here.

Takuya nodded then, he turned to face the direction where the attacks were coming from. "I don't plan on breaking any promises… Not ever again."

As Katsuharu and the others were about to make a run for it, a voice suddenly called out.

"Now, now…Is that any way to great an old friend?" Asked the voice from the shadows. "You guys aren't planning on leaving already, are you? Why, the party's only just beginning."

Izumi, Tomoki, and Kouji's ears pricked open as they heard that familiar voice. Katsuharu, Teppei, and Chiaki were rooted in their spot in surprise and shock. Shin, on the other hand, was at a lost for words.

Walking amidst the debris created by the explosion; Walking from the shadows into the lightened part of the Deck; It was only when his face was illuminated by the now-growing flames caused by the eruption that everyone caught a glimpse of who he was.

Izumi's jaws dropped and Shin's eyes widened.

There, standing in the middle of the wreckage was a face that Izumi thought he would never see…

…It was Takuya Kanbara.

**To be Continued…**

**[A/N:**

I would have called for a drumroll as I wrote those last three sentences, lol. Anyway, how do you think this story is going, everyone? It's almost nearing the end. I'm really quite pleased with how the story is going – both in the plot and in the statistics that I see everytime I check my account: 86 reviews, 6224 hits, 15 favs and 21 alerts, not bad at all…but I was hoping that it would have been as good as my CoT fanfic (when it comes with the stats, lol).

Anyway, I decided to answer the reviews I received from the 26th Chapter. So, unless you want to read this, you can go and scroll at the very bottom of the whole 'yabba-jabba' and read whatever is written there. Or you can totally jump to the Reviewing of the Chapter part of this whole thing and send me a word, a thought…lol. So, here it goes:

sightbent: It is good to be back with writing since I really am inlove with it. Writing is my passion and I am happy that you find the chapter to your liking.

GoldDragon36: Yeah, I agree…when it comes to the guys, David Archuleta is the man, although it seems that the judges had been biased for the couple of weeks. Thanks for the compliment about the chapter! 

TwinkieTUTUS: lol, typing really is enjoyable as long as you don't get a writer's block. Luckily, I have yet to experience that with this story. Here's the update, by the way, lol.

ToraHimeSama: Yes, it is kind of sad. Even as I wrote (and write the chapters) I kind of see what is happening as if I am watching a movie and can see their expression (although at times I may have a hard time explaining it as I write). I'm glad that you, like the others, approve of how the story is moving along. Don't worry, I won't be stopping from writing any time soon.

FireFairy219: Thanks. I read your review from CoT:CW and I appreciate it. About your question concerning that fanfic, I would continue with it as soon as I can (probably now) although as to when I would be uploading the chapters, that has yet to be announced, but I WILL FINISH IT for the sake of those who were reading it and will be reading it.

Anyways, I'm still busy with my thesis since my groupmates who were supposed to be helping me decided to abandon the whole project and place all the burden on me…I could strangle those people, grrr… Anyways, my summer break would be starting next week, Thursday, so you guys could expect frequent updates from that time onwards.

Apart from the fanfics, I am also working on making computer games. If there is anyone here who is experienced with making sprites for games, then give me a holler as I need help for the Digimon game that I am making. Also, I am looking for voice actors who would want to voice characters for the Digimon game (which, by the way, includes all the characters from the first four seasons), if you are interested send me a mail so that we can talk about the details there.

Aside from the Digimon RPG game that I am working on, I am also working on a Tsubasa Chronicles RPG. I also need spriters there and even those who are familiar with game making to help with the project. Voice actors are also needed. And if, by any chance, you guys know where I can get creditless OP and ED for Season 1 and 2 of this anime, can you please point me to that direction?

Anyway, those who want to help with the game are free to do so as well. Just give me a call and let's see what happens from there.

So, with that looonnnngggg Author's Note, it is time for me to sign out for now. This is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and reminding everyone to REVIEW this chapter. Until the next time we meet!


	28. Black as Sin Red as Blood

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

**A/N:**

Well, I'm still pissed off at my groupmates so I decided not to do the thesis. That's right, I'm not laying a finger on it unless they help out (I've already told my parents about it and they told me that it was best if I don't work on it for now since I would only be acting as a slave to those no-good groupmates of mine). Anyways, as I am not allowed to play computer games or watch anime shows at the moment as part of my sacrifice this Lenten Season, I decided to use my free time in writing and uploading this. Thanks for those who reviewed by the way… You are all so gonna love this chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Black as Sin; Red as Blood**

* * *

"It's been a while hasn't it, Izumi?" Takuya said as he walked on closer.

Izumi was dumbfounded. She didn't know what to do or what to think of. She could feel her senses tingling and Kaizen telling her to move back and warning her of danger. Her head swirled as question after question stormed in.

"It can't be…" Kouji said, his eyes wide open as is his jaw. "You're supposed to be dead, Takuya!"

"Wow, that's something." Takuya said as he walked passed the flames that separated him from the group. "I was hoping for something like a 'Welcome Back' or something…"

As Takuya walked closer and closer, his eyes never left Izumi for a second. Izumi could feel his stare and although she wished to see him again, the moment she saw his eyes, she suddenly looked away.

'Shin' on the other hand was shocked. It wasn't possible. This person walking towards them could not exist! He was Takuya and yet, who is this imposter that acts friendly with his friends?

"What's going on?" 'Shin' muttered to himself. Then, without warning Flayhm spoke to him with urgency telling him to go between that person's path and Izumi's.

"This guy reeks of evil!" Flayhm said growling. "You should know that for you ARE Takuya."

'Shin's' brows furrowed. He could not help but wonder who that other him was yet, he could feel it too. It was a dark, foreboding feeling which was emanating from that other Takuya. He readied himself to attack the enemy the moment he does so much as raise a hand on his friends.

On the other side of the Main Deck, Tomoki was having the same discussion with Hiltz.

"Is that really Takuya?" Tomoki asked his Guardian Spirit.

The spirit shrugged but kept a serious look on his face, his eyes never leaving that person. "I don't know, Tomoki. His energy feels the same but, at the same time, different."

"Is he an enemy then?" Tomoki continued to ask, his hand resting on the hilt of his short sword. 

"I can't tell at the moment but…"

Hiltz' explanation was cut short when Takuya spoke to Izumi yet again.

"What's wrong, Izumi?" Takuya said as he stopped midway. "Why are you moving away from me? Are you scared?"

Izumi backed away once more and replied. "I don't know what happened to you, Takuya…but you've certainly changed."

"Changed? Me?" Takuya asked in a jeering manner.

"Yes." Izumi replied, his voice trembling. "Y-you were trying to kill me!"

"Kill you?" Takuya asked, acting quite taken aback. "How could I do that, you know how I feel for you, do you not?"

'Shin' gritted his teeth. He was trying his best not to suddenly lounge forward. Here, this person was acting as though he is the real Takuya. Blood was already dripping from his fist which has been balled up in anger.

Just then, Takuya vanished and in the blink of an eye he was already standing right in front of Izumi, his hands were around her waist and his lips were locked with hers.

Surprise caught everyone and when her senses came to, Izumi quickly pushed Takuya away with wide open eyes. The moment that Izumi pushed him aside did the 'other' Takuya, the one they call 'Shin', burst into anger.

The flames that surround the group grew in size and intensity before being called to gather around 'Shin'. If everyone's attention were on Izumi and Takuya before, their eyes now turned towards 'Shin' and the flames that danced with fury around him.

The other Takuya cocked his head to the other's direction. Curiosity enveloping him as he wondered who the person who seemed to be controlling the flames was. Deep inside him he felt a familiar sense, a sense that he has found what he was looking for. His eyes glinted with malice and hunger and his lips curved into a sly smile.

"No one…" 'Shin' spoke, his voice raspy and his head bent low. "No one…has the right…to do that… to her!"

As he spoke, the flames were already creeping up to his body covering his arms, legs and torso. It would seem that he was burning yet, he wasn't. 

Izumi, who seemed as if she was about to faint thanks to the events that had transpired could not help but look at the burning man. She was about to say something when the 'other' Takuya spoke before her, turning to face the man.

"Well now, what do we have here?" Takuya said. "Who are you to say that to me? Are you someone close to her? Someone much closer than I?"

At that time, Katsuharu had a bad feeling as to what was about to happen.

"This is bad." Katsuharu muttered to his two other companions. "He's over the limit of his patience as it seems…"

Teppei nodded in agreement. "But what can we do? My gut feeling is telling me that there is nothing we can do now."

"If Takuya forces himself to speak the truth of who he is…" Chiaki said. "the seal would take effect and he might die…"

"We can't let that happen." Katsuharu said as he gritted his teeth.

'Shin', whose eyes were closed and head bent low, slowly lifted his eyes. He then shot his eyes open and at that, shouted, "Yes, I am! For I am the REAL Takuya Kanbara!" And with that the flames moved to his face and he followed with a shout, "Level 3, Activate!"

No one could tell what the other is thinking. Time seemed to have slowed down or stilled. With a powerful force that greatly rocked the ship they were on, a pillar of fire erupted from where 'Shin' stood. This pillar vanished as quickly as it had appeared and in 'Shin's' place there stood the same masked warrior who had saved them before.

His eyes burned with anger and his fists were clenched. With a swift movement of his right hand he called forth a sword from out of the flames.

"This is…" The 'other' Takuya said in a surprised tone. And after a maniacal laughter that sent shivers down everyone who heard it, he too unsheathed his sword then pointed its tip on the 'real' Takuya. "Who would have thought it…my 'other' half would be here…I'll make sure then, Takuya, that before this day ends you will no longer be, as you put it, the real Takuya. I'll make sure that I get what is needed for me to truly be complete!"

And with that the 'other' Takuya lounged forward for an attack. 'Shin' or the 'real' Takuya did so in the same time. Their swords clashed and as it did, sparks flew.

As they fought, Izumi fell down in shock. Junpei could not take his eyes off the fast paced battle. Tomoki ran to Izumi to support her. Kouji looked over at Katsuharu and said: "Can you explain this? Who is that man, Shin, and the man that looks like Takuya?"

Katsuharu looked at Kouji and back to the two Takuyas fighting. His mouth closed and open like a guppy as if he was about to tell him something but decided not to. This continued on for a while but Chiaki, who noticed and heard Kouji's question, knew that there was nothing left to hide. Their seal has been broken and there were no longer other cards to play. The 'jig', as they say, was up.

"We don't know about that man that looks like Takuya," Chiaki began to explain and was cut off by Teppei.

"Chiaki!"

But Chiaki paid him no mind and went on, "What I can tell you is that that person may look like Takuya but he is not. The real Takuya is 'Shin', that masked warrior."

"What are you talking about?" Tomoki asked. "How can that be possible? Takuya died a long time ago."

"No, he didn't." Chiaki said as she shook her head. "I was the one who rescued Takuya the day before he was reported dead. With Katsuharu's help, we created the illusion that Takuya died because of the extraction that they were doing. In his place we put a faux body. It was the faux body who was found and buried while we took the real Takuya away to help him recuperate and at the same time, as ordered by the higher ups of our Organization, keep him away from his father and the King as well as…from you people."

"What? Why?" Kouji asked. "And how is it possible that no one found out about it?"

Katsuharu sighed. He saw that there was no longer any need to hide anything from these people, and so, he was the one who continued the explanation. "I have the same power as Izumi, Tomoki and Takuya…I mean, all three of us: Me, Chiaki and Teppei also are 'Chosen Ones'. My power is that of illusions – illusions that seem so real that it is impossible to tell if they are illusions or not. Anyway, as ordered by our Leader, we helped Takuya escape by placing a fake Takuya, an illusion, in the same chamber where he was being kept the moment we helped him escaped and I made it so that they would find that Takuya dead. We forced him not to come after you people nor to contact you for fear that his father might come after them and worse, put you all in much greater danger than you already are…But it seems, that the King and his father had something else in mind."

"How do you prove that you are saying the truth? How is it that even when no one is watching 'Shin' never spoke that he was Takuya?" Kouji asked, he was confused and he did not bother to hide it.

"We placed a seal on him that prevents him to even mention a single fact about his true self. But now, it seems that, Takuya had broken it…otherwise, he would be dead." Teppei replied crossing his arms in front of his chest. "As to who that other person is… we really don't have a clue."

* * *

"Izumi, snap out of it!" Kaizen screamed as she allowed herself access to the Real World.

Silence was Izumi's answer.

"This is bad, she's in shock." Hiltz communicated as he too materialized in the Real World. "Tomoki!"

Tomoki nodded. "I know, but there's nothing we can do… Tell me, Hiltz, is that masked warrior really the Takuya that I've known or is it the one who looks like him?"

Hiltz closed his eyes for a minute and began to concentrate. After a while, he opened them again and said. "I can sense Flayhm, the Guardian Spirit of Fire but, with those two as close as they are it is impossible to say which of them is the real one. But, if you are asking if Takuya is really alive then my answer is 'yes', the same is true for you Kaizen, right?"

Kaizen nodded. "The truth will come out eventually, but unless we do something this ship is going to be destroyed before their battle is concluded."

Tomoki saw that what Izumi's Spirit Guardian said was true. "I have one other question, Hiltz…it's about those three." He said this whilst pointing at Katsuharu, Chiaki and Teppei's direction.

"Their genuine Chosen Ones, alright." Hiltz replied and Kaizen nodded. "Though I can sense their Spirit Guardians faintly, maybe it is because they have yet to fully awaken them…but they are Chosen Ones like you, Izumi and Takuya."

Tomoki nodded to acknowledge his answer. "Then, what elements are they?"

"Metal, Earth, and Water." Kaizen replied with her eyes closed in concentration. "Katsuharu's Metal, Teppei's Earth, and Chiaki is Water."

"That's good, then we may have a way to make sure that the ship doesn't burn down." And with that, Tomoki left Izumi to the care of her Spirit Guardian and rushed towards Chiaki. "Lady Chiaki, can you use your power to make sure that we don't sink?"

Chiaki was surprised at the sudden request, but nodded after a couple of seconds. "Leave that to me."

With a swift movement of her arms, Chiaki summed forth rain that put the flames off and it remained raining just in case another exchange of fireballs and explosions occurred between the fighters who now only seemed to use their swords.

* * *

"Who are you?" The masked Takuya asked as their swords locked for the umpth time. "No, what are you even?"

"Heh, you should know." The other Takuya said as he broke the sword lock and jumped back. "I am you. I am Takuya Kanbara…"

Their exchange of words caught everyone's attention, even Izumi who blinked her teary eyes.

"That's impossible!" The masked Takuya said. "You have to be an illusion!" As he said those words, he rushed for another attack which the other parried and countered only to be dodged.

"How is it 'impossible'?" The other Takuya stated. "What's surprising is to find YOU alive. Father thought you to be dead but with a part of your DNA available thanks to the extraction's Phase One, he was able to have me. He thought that it would be a great way to get every other Chosen Ones in his hands and create the ultimate army to conquer the world. Seeing as how you matched the other's description, then it would mean that you have already met a few of Father's first creations."

"What?" At that, a flash of recollection occurred to him and he realized what this fake Takuya was saying. "You mean those guys who attacked Izumi and the others?"

"Bingo!" The other Takuya said. "Their power as well as mine felt familiar, didn't it?"

"You sent them to attack Izumi and the others? You almost got them killed! And you were also the one shooting those projectiles at us!" the masked Takuya said. "What is it that you want? Why do you want them dead?"

"Dead?" Takuya asked with a smirk, "I don't want them dead, of course No. I only wanted them incapacitated…Father needs them to complete his army and the King's dream. Besides, I would never allow death to befall Izumi…"

"Damn You!" Shouted the masked one and he made a mad dash towards his opponent only to lose sight of him and get stabbed at the back.

"It's amazing how a replica can be much better than the original." Came the other Takuya's voice from behind him. "Unlike you who is imperfect in fighting, I had been programmed to over come any techniques that anyone – including you, may throw at me."

The masked Takuya staggered back and slumped down at a wall.

"Takuya!" Katsuharu shouted. "This is bad… Chiaki, Teppei we're going to help him out. I don't want any trouble from the Leader."

"Right!" The two nodded as they all made a dash, weapon unsheathed in one hand and summoning magic on the other, towards the other Takuya.

As if to prove what he said earlier, even before they could come within inches of him he had already put them down.

"Darn it!" Katsuharu said as he staggered to get up. "Where does he get that power? Even with only a small fraction of Spirit Energy, he is still that strong."

"If what he say was true, then this clone has really been programmed to be better at everything." Chiaki said clutching his right shoulder blade which has been injured.

Teppei could only nod.

"We don't have a choice." Katsuharu said. "Our priority is Kouji and his company. We have to fall back."

But the other Takuya knew of what they were thinking. With a loud whistle he summoned forth the same three people who assaulted them.

"It's been a while." Krad said with a smirk. "I'll make sure to pay you all back for what that friend of yours did to us."

* * *

"Takuya, get up!" Flayhm encouraged over his head. "We can't let it end like this. You have to get up and fight. Everyone is in trouble!"

"I…"

"Takuya, you are already using the third level of your power." Flayhm went on. "You can do this! Get up!"

Takuya's eyes were closed. He could feel blood gushing out from his back where his clone had stabbed him. He could feel his energy draining but he knew not how and when to give up. And so, even as his armor was beginning to deteriorate and he was reverting back to himself, Takuya still forced himself to stand up with sword in hand to fight the enemy.

* * *

"We're not finished yet." Takuya said.

"Oh, you're still willing to fight even if you know you won't win against me?" the clone said.

"Leave these people to us, Lord." Krad said. "Go deal with that punk."

"Of course." The clone said, then to Takuya, "You know, without your armor, this fight would pretty much be child's play."

A large fireball was hurled towards the enemy and Takuya spoke, "You're only just a copy of me, of the me who has yet to awaken the true power of the Spirits. With only my DNA from that time, you won't be able to reach the level of my Spirit Energy. You may have better sword fighting skills, but you can never have the real Spirit Energy that I have!"

"We'll see about that." The clone said and he too hurled a fireball to match that of Takuya's only or his fireball to be diminished and him to be hit by the other's flame.

"You see." Takuya said. "A clone will always be a clone."

And with that his eyes changed back to an auburn color.

"If that's the case…" The clone said as he gripped on his right eye which has been hit by the attack and was bleeding. "I'll just have to take that away from you as well."

"You can try…but you won't succeed."

* * *

She was still unsure of what's going on. Here was a person who looks like Takuya saying that he is Takuya then, on the other hand, the person known as 'Shin' who revealed himself as the 'Real' Takuya. Then, the one that looks like Takuya also reveals that he is a clone of the original but is much better than the original and then 'Shin' who persists on defeating this clone to prove that he is the true Takuya. It was getting crazy and so confusing that she did not know what to think of anymore.

When she came to, she now saw two Takuya's that look alike. The same messy auburn hair dripping wet thanks to the rain. The same color of eyes. The same height. The same everything… The only thing that could differentiate one from another was their clothes and their weapons. Both of them were exchanging blows of with fire magic and their swords.

At one time one of them would win with magic while at other times the other would inflict damage with his sword.

"This shouldn't be happening…" Izumi muttered in a low whisper that was virtually impossible to hear. "This can't be happening."

Suddenly she heard Tomoki's voice talking to her.

"Lady Izumi, are you alright?" Tomoki asked.

Izumi blinked a couple of times, and instead of answering her friend's query of concern, she said: "We have to stop them…"

"What?" Tomoki asked, not sure if he heard right.

"We have to stop them." Izumi said in a much louder tone. "They shouldn't be fighting!"

As if to remind them on what was happening, a large axe cam hurling towards their direction only for the axe to be stopped by an Ice Barrier created by Tomoki.

"I wish we could, Lady Izumi," Tomoki said with a sad smile, "but we have our hands tied at the moment."

It was only at that moment did she realize that everyone was fighting and that she was with Tomoki encased inside a crystal-like barrier.

* * *

Takuya saw that the only way to defeat this clone was by using his Spirit Energy, or at least, what is left of it, to win. He saw the large gap between his clone and himself and saw it as the other's weakness.

He had only a small amount of energy left. An energy that would be sufficient to create an opening for his sword to strike down his foe.

Takuya saw his chance and put his plan into action. As he was about to strike down the almost-whimpering clone, he heard it… Her voice and it was directed at him…

"Takuya, DON'T!" Izumi shouted as loud as her voice would allow. "STOP!"

He didn't know why, but he felt that it was him whom Izumi was talking to and so he stopped, his sword also stopped midway from his enemy's head and looked over at her.

The Takuya Clone saw this as an opportunity and struck the other Takuya down.

"NO!" Izumi shouted as she pound her fists into the barrier.

The clone stood up and looked down and the injured Takuya. "You're pretty pathetic, allowing yourself to be caught off by something like that in a fight. And so now, I will take my prize…"

He bent down and touched Takuya's face. Then traced his facial features until his hand rested on top of Takuya's right eye.

"You know what they say, do you not, real Takuya?" The Clone said as his remaining eye glinted with malice and his lips curved into a sadistic smile. "An eye for an eye."

What happened next was disgusting and plainly inhumane…

The Takuya Clone plucked the real Takuya's right eye out. Takuya screamed in agony before fainting, the place where his right eye used to be now only revealed a hole with blood gushing out. The other battle halted as Izumi screamed and averted her eyes from the scene.

"They say that a person memories and power can also be engraved in that person's eye." The clone said as he looked at the prize in his bloody hands. "With this, I will obtain everything you hold dear – your memories and your power… I may only be a copy of you even as I obtain them but… this will prove that I am better than the original."

And with that, the clone ate the eye as if it were some snack. Moments later he took the hand protecting the once singed right eye off and there rested the eye he took out from the real Takuya as his own.

The clone then looked at his right hand and with a flick of the wrist called forth a large flame that only the real Takuya could have managed to do and then, he laughed.

* * *

"This is really getting out of hand." Kouji said as his back was pressed on Katsuharu's back. "If we don't do something, we will all be in a much worse position than we already are."

"I agree." Katsuharu said, then facing Chiaki and Teppei he nodded.

"I guess it is time." Chiaki said to Teppei. "Make sure you pin them down, okay?"

"Leave that to me." Teppei said. "Make it a BIG one!"

Chiaki nodded back. She then raised her hands up in the air as Teppei touched the wooden floor of the deck. Seconds later the ship was surrounded by a wall of water that towered over them and everyone besides their enemies found themselves pinned to the ground by sand and gravel.

"What's going on?" Kouji voiced the question that was in everyone's mind.

"Don't worry, we're just going to discard unwanted guests." Katsuharu said. "Hold on tight."

They didn't need to be told of that twice before the wall of water came rushing down. It was too late when their enemies noticed and even as the clone used what could have been a very powerful barrier, it still didn't work as he noticed that he was being pushed back.

When the Takuya Clone saw that it was pointless to stay around any longer, he cursed. And after vowing to return and finish the job, he vanished with a puff of dark smoke together with his comrades.

Moments later, all the water that was in the deck vanished and when everyone saw that their enemies have also disappeared they breathe a sigh of relief.

Seeing as the coast was clear, Izumi stood up and ran towards where Takuya lay motionless, except for the rise and fall of his chest, and everyone else followed without delay.

Chiaki immediately went on calling forth healing magic to treat his wounds. At that time, it was only then that they saw the full scope of his injuries and only then that the full force of the uncovered truth that Takuya was still alive hit Kouji, Tomoki, Junpei, and most specially, Izumi.

* * *

**To be Continued…**

**A/N:**

Well, another Saga has open up in our story, lol. I found inspiration in this while reviewing one of my all time favorite Mangas the other day. As for what the manga title is, you guys have to guess, lol.

Anyhow, 12 pages of writing isn't all that bad, is it? I enjoyed writing this. Oh, and by the way, just in case someone is going to go and say that I wrote the elements of the three (Chiaki, Teppei and Katsuharu) wrong, don't bother. I did this with Alternate Universe in mind. I did not wish to follow the conventional fans' thought of what should have been their elements. I made it to go with the story so don't bother telling me who's element is what, okay?

Anyway, I would love to insert random thoughts in here for a while longer but as I have somewhere important I have to go to now and with time for that meeting running out, I have to hurry up so I'll be signing out for now.

Don't remember to review, okay? I want to hear your thoughts on this chapter! 'Til next time! PEACE!


	29. Epilogue of the Battle

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

**A/N:**

Well, this took a long time to finished because I had to study for my exams and so. Anyways, the point is, I've managed to finish this just in the nick of time.

Before you guys go on in reading this chapter, allow me to thank all of you for getting this far with me in this fanfic and for reviewing as well. We are far from finished though, so you can expect a lot more twists and turns before our story reaches its climax.

With that said, enjoy the latest chapter in our story

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Epilogue of the Battle**

* * *

The sun's rays gave life to the well-decorated and expensive looking room. Shelves were placed on one corner where books were scattered as if someone had been reading through every single one of them.

Ornaments ranging from paintings to small statues to porcelain vases of all shapes and size that one could imagine decorated the other half of the room. If it weren't for the bed in the southern end of the room, anyone who comes across and takes a peek at this room would think that it is some sort of exhibit.

The flooring of the room was lavish. The floor on the place where the bed rested was a very expensive red carpet that have golden linings.

In the middle of the room rested a small table and chairs to go along with them. It too looked very expensive like the rest of the room.

There were not much noise in the room except from the sound of breathing from the person who was occupying the bed. If one were to take a glance they would think that this person was in his deathbed – which is not the case as he is only in a deep slumber, whether he is in a peaceful one or not is an entirely different matter.

Chiaki had done her best in healing most of Takuya's wounds however, as she is still in early stages of Spirit Energy development, she could only do so much with so little amount of energy left after the feat she managed to accomplish onboard the ship. Most of Takuya's wounds, thanks to her healing magic, were closed and loss of blood was stopped which saved his life. But, even when the wound stopped bleeding, he is still unable to open his eyes… or rather, his remaining left eye. For even with such advance magic as one could learn, it would be impossible to return his eye especially if it has been forced out.

Everyone was worried about his condition. Although Izumi and the others whom he had made to think that he was dead were angered by his action of hiding his true status, they could still not erase the fact that they were very worried of his condition. He was, after all, still their friend and in Izumi's case, the person whom she loved the most.

* * *

The sound of Seagulls echoed true the harbor of Shore as the sound of crashing waves joined in a melodious concerto with the buzzing noise that the general public made as they continue on with their daily activities.

The sun, shining over head with the clouds playing with the wind and forming all sorts of shapes, only served to lift the people's spirits. However, despite the almost festive mood of the people of Shore, inside the walls of the illustrious mansion where the Organization Leader resides, it was entirely a different manner.

With Takuya resting on one of the Guest Rooms available in this intricate mansion, Katsuharu took his time to report to the Leader of their current status as well as to ask for permission for Izumi and her entourage to have an audience with her.

"So, that is what happened…" The Leader said. "I was wondering what the commotion was all about and why I haven't seen Takuya running rampant."

Katsuharu nodded. "I imagine you would want to take a look at him, my Lady?"

"No." The Leader replied. "Although I admit that I am worried of him, we have much more important matters to dealt with like that clone who took and ate his eye. I should have anticipated that the _King_ and the boy's father would have thought of making something like that with the DNA they extracted from him. What's more, this clone did mention that they were developing a lot more of his kind which can manipulate the same kind of Spirit Energy as Takuya, correct?"

Katsuharu nodded yet again. "Yes. He did say that. And now that he had managed to obtain Takuya's eye, it is possible that the King would use the clone's DNA to create more powerful clones for his army. What confuses me is his objective. Isn't obtaining the keys and opening the Ancient Door more important for him than world conquest?"

The Leader sat down on her leather-coated chair and sighed before speaking. "It seems he has a lot of plans in mind and doesn't care which of them is fulfilled first. What about the Kouichi boy?"

"Ah, yes… That was the main reason why we were forced to accompany them in close range, my Lady." Katsuharu began to explain. "It seems this Kouichi person was also forced to go with those other clones in exchange for his Grandfather's safety. Now that we know the connection between those people who can manipulate flame like Takuya does and the King and his men, it is safe to assume that we can very well expect clones of him and his power in the future…or much worst, he himself working against us."

This made the leader thought for a while longer before speaking. "Then we have to move quickly to make sure that none of that happens. I will ask our spies to look into the matter and as soon as we get word of his location we will dispatch. Now, is there anything else?"

"Yes." Katsuharu replied. "Lady Izumi Orimoto and Lord Kouji Minamoto would like to seek an audience with you. Will you allow them?"

"There is no use hiding anything from them." The Leader spoke and nodded. "Tell them that I shall meet with them later."

"Yes, my Lady." Katsuharu bowed before walking off out of the room.

* * *

Izumi let her hair be blown by the wind as she stood on top of the balcony, her eyes closed and replaying the events onboard the Ship. The fact that Takuya is still alive brings joy in her heart and yet, this joy is also mixed with anger and frustration.

He had kept his promise that he would find a way to get out and yet failed to fulfill the part of returning to her. Although he did so now, it was only because the events on that accursed ship brought that to transpire. What if all that didn't happen? Would he still have told her the truth? This was the question that plagued her mind in that moment.

Worry was also another emotion that crept into her. She had been told that there are cases when a person experiences a trauma and shortly after goes into a coma. She was certain that what Takuya had undergone and that feeling of his eye being ripped out would give anyone a trauma and a hard time forgetting it. If that is so, is he really not in critical condition now? What if the Doctor who took a look at him and all her friends were only keeping the truth of his condition from her? She could not help but doubt.

Her anger and resentment were not all directed on that Auburn haired one but on this Leader of the so-called Organization as well as its members particularly: Chiaki, Teppei and Katsuharu. They have to explain themselves well if they wish not to see the wrath of her fury.

Izumi found peace at that moment despite all the swirling thoughts. She was glad that Kaizen allowed her to be by herself and agreed to watch over Takuya while he sleeps and report any sudden changes in his condition. It was very useful having the Spirit Guardian of Wind around.

Izumi touched her lips and cringed at the memory. She had often dreamt that her first kiss would be with Takuya. She definitely didn't think that it would be with a person who looks like him – his clone.

She mentally cursed herself at that time when she caught a glimpse of that impostor's eyes. His eyes showed no love whatsoever, only malice and the hunger for power. She should have known, the first time that she and the clone met, that he was not Takuya and he could not possibly had been with eyes like those. But then, she remembered the cold way that the real Takuya, the Takuya that is now lying in recovery, looked at her as he acted as if he didn't know her.

Kouji had given her the heads up. He had told her what Katsuharu and the two others have told him of why his true condition had to be kept a secret even for them and why he had to pretend that he was a different person. But somehow, Izumi doesn't buy it. She would really have to demand the truth of the matter to whomever this exalted Leader was.

Despite the overwhelming mixture of emotions that she is feeling about Takuya, she still could not erase the worry that she also feels for her friend and Takuya's best friend, Kouji. It has already been five days since he decided to walk away from them in hopes of appeasing the desire of the King and Takuya's twisted father in order to save his Grandfather. If they could do that to the Commander-turned-General Kanbara's own son, who could say what they could do to him? Maybe something entirely worst?

"Damn them." Izumi could not help but curse.

Her contemplation was suddenly erupted when Tomoki stepped into the balcony.

"I didn't think you'd be wasting your time up here instead of being by Takuya's bedside, Izumi." Tomoki spoke as he walked towards her.

Izumi was surprised but immediately changed expressions. "Kaizen's with him."

"Yeah, I did notice when I went down there to visit." Tomoki replied laughing. "What about you? Aren't you going to watch over him."

Silence was Izumi's answer, an indication to Tomoki that she was still mad of Takuya. Tomoki did not know what else to do and so, he decided to went on talking. "Everyone's pretty much still in a state of shock of what happened on that ship. Who would have guessed it, huh, the King developing clones with his men and programming them to be killing machines. I guess we really have our work cut out for us now."

Izumi only just nodded and Tomoki went on. "Lord Kouji's busy making preparations for who knows what. I guess he's only doing that to keep his mind off of things. He has a lot to worry about – you, Takuya, the other rebels, even Kouichi and meeting with the Leader of the Organization. Oh yeah, that's right, you and Lord Kouji have been granted permission to speak with their Leader."

"That's good." Izumi said her eyes looking over the cerulean ocean and the harbor. "I've already prepared what to say to give her a piece of my mind."

Tomoki could only laugh half-heartedly. He was worried. Izumi really looked pretty angry and who knows what that anger could do. He silently prayed that the Leader won't provoke her to act irrationally.

"Lord Junpei is also shaken about what happened." Tomoki went on. "I guess he still has to get used to the fact that we would be fighting with magic against people who can use it as well. He seems to have found a renewed spirit as he practically begged Teppei and Chiaki as well as Katsuharu to teach him how to fight effectively. Isn't that something."

Izumi could only nod as her head began to drift off into thought once again leaving Tomoki to talk on and on and on…

* * *

Kouji could not stop himself from pacing back and forth. If his friends and companions could see him now they would probably laugh at him for acting giddy. If strangers were to look at him, he looked like he has a wife in labor and is awaiting for the baby to come out or something.

How unbelievable could their journey have gone to? First he was asked to accompany Lady Izumi to spy against the enemy Commander and the King only to uncover a plot that no one could have expected. Then, Takuya gets captured, tortured and they learn that he died soon after. The King's action then went from bad to worst which forced them to evacuate the capital and find safety from distant countries as rebels against the King of Frontiria only for Kouichi to be blackmailed into leaving them and joining the King and his henchmen. They were then attacked by mysterious people who can wield almost the same power as Takuya and then they meet up with Katsuya's group after their group had saved them. Then they board a ship in hopes of going to Shore and meeting with a person whom Katsuharu had said would help them search for Kouichi's whereabouts only to meet Takuya's clone and learn that Shin was Takuya. After that, everything went wrong. Takuya's eyes got plucked out and he was wounded and they ended up in Shore after going through what he would describe as a hell of a ride.

He still could not understand his role in all of this. If this was the price he needed to pay in order to protect the daughter of his Commander then, he could not help but think it was a bit too much. He was surprised when Chiaki came into the room and his surprise was not well hidden.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lord Kouji." Chiaki said when she noticed the look of surprise in his face. "I did knock."

"Y-yes, yes, of course." Kouji said then added, "What can I do for you, Lady Chiaki."

"Actually, I just came by order of Katsuharu and the leader to inform you that you and the others have been granted an audience with the Leader." Chiaki said as she sat down at one of the three well-crafted chairs placed in the room. "You should really learn to relax for even just a bit, Lord Kouji."

Kouji stared at her for a moment before shrugging. "I am relaxed…only just thinking things through. I never would have guessed that things would happen as they had."

"The same goes from our side." Chiaki assured him. "Actually, the only one who doesn't seem too much surprised, confused or agitated with the whole deal is the Leader."

Silence was Kouji's reply. It was a while before he spoke and asked. "Is that so. Tell me, how is he? Takuya, I mean."

Chiaki shook her head slowly. "He has yet to awaken. As for his injuries, we managed to completely heal most of them but because his eye was gauged out…there was nothing we can do about that."

"I see." Was his reply.

At that Chiaki stood up and began to head towards the door. "I know for one that you have a lot of questions in your mind, Lord Kouji, just like the rest of your companions. I suggest you try to rest and keep your mind at ease before you meet with _her_. I am certain _she _will answer all of your queries."

Kouji merely nodded to acknowledge what she said before she went on her way.

* * *

"Ouch!" Junpei shouted, holding his head as he stumbled back. "You don't need to hit me that hard!"

Teppei shrugged, his face showed boredom as he replied, "You're the one who came running to us for help. You wanted to learn how to fight better and how could you if we don't attack you and you attack us?"

Junpei was silent for a while before sighing. He stood up and although he still felt nauseous from that last attack delivered unto him, he knew that he would have to endure that. Picking his training sword from the ground, Junpei poised himself once more for battle.

It was as Teppei had said. He had come to them for help. He wanted to learn how to fight – to really fight and not just depend on those who possess magical and mysterious powers as Lady Izumi. He was weak and he knew that he was incapable of helping with the battle at hand. He knew that the way he is, he would only be dragging them down.

But, after witnessing the events on the Ship on their way to Shore, he had swore to get stronger. He could no longer watch and do nothing while he sees Lady Izumi, the Vice-Captain and even the little kid, Tomoki give their all. He wanted to be strong.

He had been in the room with the person they called 'Takuya'. He had saw what happened to him. He fought the one that looks like him and no matter how damaged his body gained he still had the strong will to fight. He could not help but wonder if that was the reason why Lady Izumi looked at him as she did.

"My feelings for her are strong," he told himself that. "and I will not be left behind. I'll show her that I can be as strong as that Takuya. That she can also depend on me. Maybe then she can return my feelings for her…"

He dodged and parried many attacks that came along his way. Teppei saw that he was learning and learning fast indeed however, he also saw an opening and managed to know Junpei down once again.

"You're thinking way too much and of way too many things." Teppei told him. "You should learn to focus on the battle and learn to use your weapon as part of your body."

"That's easier said than done." Junpei muttered.

Teppei sighed. "I thought you were one of Lord Orimoto's knights. Why then do you fight as you do? It seems as though you have never undergone proper training or something."

Junpei did not know what to say at that time and so Teppei dropped the topic. Teppei figured that there must be some reason and if his 'student' is not yet ready to speak of it then he would wait for when the time comes when he is ready.

As the hours ticked by, the two continued on with their drill. Teppei teaching him how to fight well and Junpei learning from his teachings.

* * *

Flayhm hovered above Takuya's bed together with Kaizen, who was watching over Takuya. Flayhm's eyes held a worrisome look. He could not help but curse himself for not being able to have done something to spare his master and partner of the pain that he had felt.

He could have done something to prevent Takuya from losing his eye but, he was not able to do anything.

He blamed himself for his Master's predicament and Kaizen knew that.

"It's not your fault, Flayhm." She assured him. "You, both of you, did all you could. It just wasn't enough."

"Still…" Flayhm said. "Our purpose is to protect those that bear our mark. That is the reason why we were called 'Guardians' but, I…I failed my mission."

Kaizen shook her head. "You didn't fail…not yet, anyway."

"What are you talking about?" Flayhm asked looking at his fellow Spirit Guardian. "Look at him! His in very bad shape and he wouldn't be lying here if I was stronger."

The Spirit Guardian of Wind sighed. "Then I guess both of you would be thinking the same thing at this very moment. Thinking that you both lack strength."

Silence was Flayhm's answer. He didn't know what to say. What could he possibly say?

"You're not weak, Flayhm and neither is this young man." Kaizen said. "You've managed to teach him how to use your Level 2 power by your own. You've managed to grow along with him. Your strength is his strength. The enemy isn't something like us or him, someone who had been programmed to be the best would have no growth left but we can still grow. We can surpass him."

Flayhm looked at her as if she was a puzzling thing. "How can you surpass someone or something who is already the best?"

Kaizen smiled. "You train your hardest and improve yourself to be the best. If that other Takuya learned all his fighting techniques by being programmed to have them then his fighting skill will always be predictable as long as you could read his moves. But if we manage to train ourselves stronger and in a different way as he did then we can surpass him. Humans were made to grow and to learn. I am certain that this experience would have taught Takuya to become stronger in here." At that, Kaizen placed a hand on her chest.

Flayhm didn't understand what she was saying but he knew that she must have thought of it deeply. He smiled for he also knew that she was trying to lift his spirit however, his spirit will not be lifted until Takuya opens his eye and tell him himself that it wasn't his fault.

Until that time…

**

* * *

**

**To be continued…**

**A/N:**

Well, this chapter didn't turn out to be as long as I would have wanted. I was actually pretty busy while doing this since I have two game projects that I was also doing along with this.

Anyways, what do you guys think? The next chapter would advance our story. I decided to put a chapter like this before hand just so we can delve deeper into the thoughts of Takuya's companions. If you guys didn't note, Junpei has a secret here. What that secret is…well, you guys would have to read the later chapters to find out.

Well, that's about all for now. See you all later!

This is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out!

Don't forget to review, ne?


	30. The Monster Haven and the Crying Sky

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

**A/N:**

Well, I am absolutely pissed off right now as I still have a hang over after hearing the results from American Idol as to who was eliminated. With that annoyed feeling I decided to write the latest chapter of our fanfic… Talk about inspiration, huh?

Anyways, I'm pretty happy with how the story is going so far and I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves reading as well. Anywho, here's the latest chapter that took me three hours to complete. Hope you guys like it!

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon  
The Monster Haven and the Crying Sky  
**

* * *

"It is well that you have decided to aide us." A cold voice reverberated across the mushy, damp, and old tiles of the shadowy ruins. "I had thought you would do something stupid and try to be hero for your family's sake."

The person whom the voice was talking to did not answer as he saw it fit to remain silent and let the other talk to his heart's content.

"You will be a valuable asset to our cause and you will be greatly rewarded." The voice, coming from the lone throne in the far northern and darker corner of the room spoke.

Something stirred from the other end of the room as the sound of iron chains clashed with the concrete tiles below. The owner of the voice and the one being spoken to both looked at the direction where the sound was coming from. From the darkness of the room and with the help of the small amount of light entering it, the eyes of the one who sits at the throne glinted with a cold, golden stare.

Heavy breathing resonated and echoed through the air, the type that could only be heard from someone who had been badly beaten and.

"I'm surprised that you still manage to stand, old man." Said the Cloned Takuya as he entered with a bright flash of reddish orange light, eliminating the room if only for an instant, revealing an old man chained on the wall, his body bruised and his shirt torn. "I'm also surprised that you haven't freed him yet as well, my King."

The one sitting on the throne smirked and an evil glint became even more evident in his eyes as he spoke. "Of course, we need to make sure that young Kouichi here doesn't think of any ideas of betraying us."

The one whom the King had been talking to a while back 'hmphed' and said, "I don't plan on betraying anyone anymore. It took me a while to fully realize it, but this is where I truly belong… with your Highness and my friend, Takuya."

"I'm glad to hear that, my old friend." The Clone said.

"Kouichi, don't do this!" the old man chained on the wall said, "Surely you do not believe in the lies weaved by this spider! Open your eyes and see that the person before you is not your real friend!"

"Silence, old man!" Kouichi said, his eyes showed no pity or remorse nor did it show anger or any other emotion for that matter. His eyes were just blank. "I will not condone your ill words about Takuya any more. You do not know what it feels to lose a friend and be reunited with him after all this time."

The beaten General could only gape at how his grandson was acting. 'Surely this is not Kouichi…" he thought. But even before he could be certain of whether or not it was his grandson, the King had immediately called forth masked guards to drag him out of the room and back into the damp and dreary cell which he had been kept.

Once the older Kimura was out of the room, Takuya's clone spoke: "Kouichi, I know that it has been a while since we've exchanged conversations but would you allow me some private time with the King and would you call my father over here as well. Tell him it is something important."

Kouichi with his face still emotionless nodded.

Five minutes passed and the older Kanbara entered the room. His expression hidden by the darkness as he asked, "What is this all about?"

"I figured you would be interested in hearing what had happened while I was pursuing the daughter of Orimoto and her friends." The clone said.

"I hope this is not another one of your excuses why you or your men were unable to capture just one woman and a child." The King said. "If you won't prove yourself useful any longer then, we would not hesitate to put you down and create another one much more useful than you."

"Now, now, your Majesty. No need to be hasty in making that decision. After all, if you do that, you would be making the biggest mistake of your life." Clone Takuya said with a smirk. "Maybe I should demonstrate something to you both before telling my story… I'm sure you will find this interesting."

With that, the younger Kanbara snapped his fingers and pillars of fire erupted from his side, his back and his front. The King and Takuya's father became wide-eyed in the display of power that the clone was showing.

"H-how?" The King asked. "How did you manage to attain such level of power?"

"If you're surprised by such a measly act, then allow me to take a step even further." The clone said. "I just learned of this a couple of hours ago whilst I was traveling back here."

"There's more?" General Kanbara asked.

Clone Takuya smirked and with a loud voice called, "Come forth, Spirit Guardian!"

A brilliant flash of orange light erupted as the pillars of fire joined together and with a burst of fiery energy, a dark version of Flayhm appeared before them.

"It would have been much more interesting if this thing could be awakened, however, it seems there is still something I lack to fully awaken and animate him." The clone said.

"A Spirit Guardian, this is the first time I have ever seen one." The King said. "Now, would you tell us how you came across such power?"

"I just happen to bump into a ghost." The clone said.

"Ghost?" The General asked.

"I don't know how he managed to do it, but your _son_ is still alive." Clone Takuya said nonchalantly, "Although I doubt for how long after what I did."

"WHAT!?" both the King and the General exclaimed.

"How could that be possible, he was dead…we buried him!" The King said.

"Don't ask me a question that I could not answer now, your Majesty." The clone said. "But we need not fear him, all I needed to do was take something of his and I became even more powerful than he was. He is no threat to us. I can assure you, I've defeated him after all but I failed to do the killing move thanks to an unprecedented interruption."

"We need to hear more of this." Kanbara said.

"I'm sure you would, _father_. After all, I have found another Chosen One."

* * *

Another day has passed and still Takuya has yet to awaken. The day before, the leader of the Organization had met with Izumi and Kouji and explained to them of the situation.

_"I thank you for allowing us to have an audience with you." Kouji said as he bowed his name in respect while Izumi remained indignant of the woman before them who had introduced herself as the leader of the infamous Organization. "And also, for allowing us to find sanctuary here in your manor."_

_"No need for thanks, it was just the right thing to do." The Leader said. _

_"As it is with keeping the knowledge of Takuya being alive and well a secret?" Izumi questioned in an angry tone. She was not to let go of that so easily._

_"Lady Izumi!" Kouji tried to hush her._

_"Or of the fact that you hindered any form of communication to and from Takuya?" Izumi went on unfazed. "And also, you think it right to work behind the scenes without providing sufficient information for those who are involved? Does it suit you well to act all mysterious?"_

_Izumi went on and on, letting her anger get the best of her while Kouji tried his best to calm her down but to no avail. The leader, who has yet to introduce and tell her tale remained silent allowing the younger one to speak freely._

_When Izumi has calmed down a bit, the Leader spoke._

_"I understand that you are upset with all that has happened," the Leader began but was cut off by Izumi yet again._

_"Upset? I'm more than upset!"_

_"Yes, of course…" she said and cleared her throat then went on. "But you have to understand that what we did we did it because we believed that it was the right course of action and we stand by that decision. Think of what would have happened if his father or if the King's cohorts learned that he is still alive? It would have caused a lot more problems than the one we are now facing. Though now that we learned that they had managed to make a clone of a Chosen One, our only regret is that we didn't manage to rescue him any sooner."_

_Izumi was silent but her face showed that she was not going to accept such an answer any time soon._

_"I still find it hard to understand." Kouji voiced out. "What is the purpose of your Organization? And moreover, why do you fight against the King?"_

_"I guess it is time to explain things to you, albeit this explanation will not tackle all of your questions. I do promise to explain everything once all of you are complete."_

_"Complete?" Kouji asked._

_"I meant to say that once Takuya, whom I owe all the explanation to, is finally awake." The leader said, then began to tell her story:_

_"A couple of years ago, the King became sick with a yet to be classified disease, I am sure that you know that. As bewildering as how he contracted such a disease did he miraculously heal from it. The people who knew of the seriousness of his illness at that time was joyous. That same time however, the King also changed. The King who once treated his people with respect and dignity slowly but surely changed his views on how to manage a Kingdom and soon became caught up with unearthing the Ancient Knowledge._

_"We are not certain how or who gave him the knowledge of the Chosen One and the Prophecy that goes along with them as well as the Legend of the Door which can only be unlocked by these Chosen One, but he did learn of them. He became so enthralled by it that he placed all effort in order to find and capture them. He called forth Scientists known for whatever field came into mind that could possibly be __related to his thirst for power and knowledge of the Ancients. It took a while, but eventually, the Scientists saw an evident clue as to how to find these Chosen Ones._

_"They first found of the existence of the one who bears the Flame and of course, the one who bears the Ice. For some apparent reason or another, and for whatever method they used, they were able to pinpoint exactly who it was. They learned that Takuya Kanbara, son of a Commander to the King's Knights was one of them but, they could not touch him just yet for he was well protected in the walls of the Academy and of the Village where he grew up in and so they decided to capture the other one, Tomoki Himi, bearer of the Spirit of Ice._

_"It was around the same time that our Organization was formed. That time, the Queen learned of something disturbing and decided to find a way to stop whatever Catastrophe might ensue because of her husband's greed for power. Thus, she founded and continue to fund our Organization and it is also the reason why we have to stay behind the scenes for we cannot let them trace our relationship with the Queen._

_"But it seems now that the Queen's information is limited as we did not see these things happening and therefore we were unable to prevent them from happening. For that, all of you deserve our apology._

_"As for our purpose. Our purpose is to make sure that we collect all the Chosen Ones before the King does and ensure their safety. It is also our mission to learn of what happened to the King to make him change into the man that he is today." And with that the Leader finished her summarized explanation._

_"So you're saying that the Queen funds your Organization?" Izumi asked, her arms crossed. "Do you have proof of this? It is, after all, easy to make such claims."_

_"Yes, of course." The other woman said. "I rarely show this to anyone but seeing as it would be hard to ask for your cooperation otherwise, I have no choice."_

_And with that, she moved over to her desk and took out a parchment that had the seal of the Queen as well as handing Izumi an envelope that contains the Queen's Ring._

_"I hope that that is proof of our allegiance enough to the Queen." She said._

_Izumi could only answer, "For now."_

_"Now that that is out of the way, I imagine you want to know of our current situation right now?" the leader said more as a statement than a question._

_The two nodded._

Izumi could still not understand that woman's explanation of their situation and the reason why she was asked out when it came to that part of their discussion.

'And just when we were getting at the good part too.' Izumi thought. It had already been a day and she still felt annoyed at being left out when she deserved to hear of it as much as Kouji did.

The silence of the room where Takuya was still asleep and where she was staying watch was deafening. Even though she felt that she was still not ready to be with him after all that has happened, she had no choice but to watch over him. It wasn't that she no longer loves him but because she still felt that he purposely left her out and made her worry of him and purposely made her think he was dead… although she already knew that it wasn't his fault, she still could not help but accuse that of him and to accuse the Organization as well.

'How convenient that all of them had something to do at this time and day.' Izumi thought with a sigh.

She was bored and in the middle of her boredom her stomach grumbled.

"Oh great." Izumi muttered. Seeing as she has no choice and she did not wish to let her hunger pass, she summoned her Spirit Guardian, Kaizen.

"What seems to be the problem, Izumi?" Kaizen asked as she fluttered about.

"Would you mind watching over Takuya while I get something to eat, Kaizen?" Izumi asked almost pleading. "I'm very much hungry, you see…"

"Sure." Kaizen said cheerfully as she was always glad to be of some service to her. "Take your time, I'll be sure to watch over him for you while your away."

"Thank you, Kaizen." Izumi said with a smile before exiting the room.

* * *

It was a surprise when Izumi found her companions all lounging about in the Dining Room. She did not hide her frustration when she saw them, after all, they had said that they would be busy the whole day doing something of great importance and here they are doing nothing of that sort.

Junpei had nearly stumbled over in surprise when he saw her walk into the room.

"Ah—Lady Izumi, what are you doing here?" He had said.

"I should be the one asking you and everyone else that question, Lord Junpei." Izumi retorted, her voice held no charm whatsoever and her brows were furrowed. "You all told me to watch over Takuya because all of you were asked to do something important… I doubt lounging about here is that which you were asked to do."

"Well, we just got back actually, Lady Izumi." Tomoki said as rain began to fall creating the rhythmic pitter-patter sound on the roof of the mansion. "And we were lucky to have done so before this rain started to pour."

"What did you guys do then?" She asked, not buying their excuse.

"We were asked to patrol the surrounding area." The Vice Commander said after drinking something of red color from his glass. "The Organization, according to Katsuharu, had received word that enemies were spotted near hear… and that there were something weird amongst them."

"Something weird?" Izumi asked again after she had filled her plate with food and sat down to join them. "What do you mean by that."

"We don't know, we haven't seen anything at all even after scouting the area more than twice." Junpei said. "Lord Katsuharu and his men however have yet to return."

"I see." Was all she could think of saying before she began eating her food. She was just about to eat some of the cake she got for her dessert when Teppei came bursting into the room.

He was dripping wet with a panicked expression on his face. His weapon was unsheathed and there was blood dripping from it signaling that he had just killed someone. His clothes were muddy and as soaked as he was. And he, without a doubt, caught everyone's attention.

"Emergency Everyone!" He said, his voice shaky. "We have a big problem, the city's being overrun by weird creatures!"

Teppei said this so fast that at first no one understood what he just said. It was only a couple of minutes later that they did understood what he said but failed to grasp whatever was in his words. It seemed surreal, like something taken out of a novella.

"What did you just say?" Kouji quickly rose to his feet.

"Monsters." Teppei said. "That's how I would describe them. They're rampaging throughout Shore and what's more, they have soldiers with them … soldiers that are also cloned from Takuya!"

The faces of those in the room quickly went pale as if cold water was splashed on them. Kouji was about to say something but was suddenly interrupted by a loud explosion followed by Kaizen flying towards them with a frantic look on her face.

When Izumi saw her, she knew that it would not be good and at that moment all she could think about was, "Takuya…"

Izumi, of course, quickly made Kaizen visible and audible to her other companions for she did not wish to repeat herself whatever news her Spirit Guardian might bring.

"Bad news, Izumi!" Kaizen said as she quickly flew towards her. "Takuya, he…"

"He what?" Izumi, Tomoki and Kouji asked in unison while Junpei still had a shocked look on his face after seeing Kaizen appear out of nowhere and Teppei was on the look out.

"Well, he woke up suddenly after I heard I weird cry from somewhere," Kaizen began to explain. "Then he destroyed the wall of his room, jump off and ran off towards the city."

"What's gotten into him?" Kouji quickly asked before grabbing his sword which was lying by the corner of the room. "Junpei, Teppei, we need to hurry and drag that guy back here. Tomoki, you stay and guard Lady Izumi as well as this place, understood?"

Tomoki nodded.

"Wait, I'm going too!" Izumi said.

"Absolutely not, Lady Izumi." Kouji quickly said. "It's monsters we'll be dealing with and I can tell you that I have no training on how to handle those creatures what so ever and so having you along will only make our job even harder."

"But…"

"I have to agree with him, Lady Izumi." Junpei said.

"I also agree with Kouji." Teppei added. "If you're worried about that idiot, don't be. The Organization will ensure that no harm comes to him and that we'll be able to drag him back here."

Izumi could not believe that she would be left out… again. But she knew that what they say is true. She will only be a burden despite the fact that she is a Chosen One because she knows that her heart isn't in whatever battle lies ahead if she comes along but on the well-being of Takuya Kanbara.

She sighed but before she could say that she concedes, Kaizen spoke out and added: "If you guys are going after Takuya, you better be careful. He doesn't seem like he's himself right now."

"What do you mean by that, little one?" Kouji asked.

"Well, he acted like he was a zombie or something." Kaizen said remembering what had happened before she came flying to them. "Flayhm, his Spirit Guardian, tried to stop him and talk to him but he just kept on muttering something and his eye didn't show any life at them at all. He seems like he was obsessed at doing something and would go to lengths to obtain it."

At that point, only the sound of the rain crashing with the roof and the ground could be heard. It took a while before Izumi changed her mind and it was Kouji and the others who conceded to bring her and Tomoki along saying: "We need as much power as we can if we are to fight with him."

* * *

The rain poured continually soaking everything. Roars of unclassified but definitely abnormal creatures echoed along with the screams of panic and the clashing of swords mixed with constant explosions here and there.

Takuya, still wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt and pants walked barefooted with his sword in his hand and was soaked from head to toes. His left eye scanned the area and upon seeing an enemy, he would go on and battle and win against them.

"Takuya!" Flayhm shouted over the noise. "Takuya, snap out of it!"

Takuya seemed not to listen to him as he continued on with is carnage muttering the words, "I have to get it back, I have to become stronger" over and over again.

Flayhm could not understand what was going on with his partner, master and friend for he could not see clearly into his heart nor look into his mind for answers to his questions. He knew that there was something really wrong, not just with Takuya but with him as well.

Flayhm continued to talk to Takuya and Takuya went on fighting the intruders. Lightning streaked across the sky and thunder boomed as the rain continued to fall heavily.

Minutes later and a familiar voice called out to Takuya.

"Takuya!" Izumi shouted as she along with Kouji, Tomoki, Junpei and Teppei ran towards him.

Takuya slowly turned around and upon seeing them threw his left hand in the air and flame erupted from the ground blocking Izumi and the others' way.

"Takuya, what are you doing?" Flayhm asked at the same time that Kouji did.

At that instant, Takuya was suddenly surrounded by clones who, do not look like him but, possesses the exact power that he has as well as a dozen more monsters.

"Don't… interfere."Takuya said indifferently before gripping his sword tighter and walking towards his foes.

"Takuya stop doing this!" Izumi pleaded. "This is not like you! Wake up!"

"It's no use, Lady Izumi." Tomoki said. "I think even your voice cannot reach him right now."

"What do you mean?" Izumi asked.

"Hiltz can sense that Takuya isn't even listening to his Spirit Guardian." Tomoki said. "I think this is a hurdle that Takuya believes he alone should face."

As they discussed what their course of action should be, Takuya began to eliminate those who threatened to destroy Shore. Even though he was bruised he continued to stand up as if obsessed in destroying his enemies.

Izumi could not bear to watch him. She could see that he was suffering inside and out and once again she felt powerless as she did when she learned that he had been captured and was about to be hanged for treason.

Takuya had already felled all of the enemies except for one – a giant, saber tiger-like being with two heads. Clearly a mutated being from hell. It was when he was already ready to battle against the said beast when Katsuharu, Chiaki and the leader came.

"What's going on here?" Katsuharu asked as he saw the wall of fire keeping them and Takuya with the monstrosity.

"We have no idea ourselves, but it looks like Takuya plans on defeating every single one of these things by himself." Teppei answered. "He's on a rampage and he wouldn't even listen to what we say."

"So, he is in a trance." The leader said. "Have you tried talking with him, Izumi?"

Izumi nodded. "He wouldn't listen and neither would he listen to his Spirit Guardian."

"Then we should just let him." The leader said. "I believe this has something to do with what happened at the Ship. He can sense that those clones were made from him and he may have also sensed that the monsters were summoned using another Chosen One's power."

"You mean, a Chosen One has sided along with the King?" Junpei asked.

"Not just one." Chiaki said as Katsuharu and Teppei looked away. "Counting the one who manipulates these beings and Takuya's Clone, the King should now have three Chosen Ones in his possession."

It was quite a revelation for Izumi and her companions. They could not believe that two other people would side with a King who has clearly lost all logic and is working on greed alone.

Their discussion was suddenly cut short however, when Takuya's sword suddenly went flying thanks to one of the monster's attacks leaving Takuya weaponless.

Raising his right hand towards the tiger-of-a-monster, Takuya began to focus his energy when suddenly…

"Something's wrong!" Kaizen suddenly said.

"I agree… Flayhm's energy seems to be leaving Takuya's body!" Hiltz added. "What's going on here?"

"What?" Everyone said in unison.

When everyone looked over at Takuya, they could see Flayhm faintly. The tiger was now attacking while Takuya was being shielded by Flayhm. Takuya apparently could not see that he was unable to conjure a Fire attack on his hand.

When Takuya did notice, it was too late as Flayhm was suddenly flung out of the way. Seeing as Takuya has no means to defend himself Kouji and Katsuharu decided to act.

Ordering Chiaki to create for them a barrier made of water that would protect them from the Ancient Flames, Katsuharu and Kouji made it just in time to rescue Takuya out of the monster's attack.

Takuya who was still in a trance and quite oblivious to what was already happening, continued to stare at his hands as if searching for an answer in them.

"What are we going to do with this thing?" Kouji asked.

"I have a feeling that this thing and those monsters that came along with it has been called forth from darkness." Katsuharu said. "And I think the only way to beat darkness is by using light. You do understand what I am saying, don't you… Bearer of Light, Kouji Minamoto?"

* * *

**To be Conitnued…**

**A/N:**

Whew 12 pages of this is really tiring. And despite 4,618 number of words I am still unable to accept that my favorite for the American Idol competition has been eliminated. I guess half-Asians really do not have a chance of winning the said competition.

Moving away from the somber topic of Ramiele being eliminated let's move on to a much lighter note. The last part of this chapter would surely (that's just a guess) cause people to ask if Kouji already knew of him being a Chosen One despite the fact that it is already obvious in the reader's eyes. Well, the answer to that lies on the next chapter as well as the second or third chapter from the conclusion of the Shore Arc (ooh… I just can't believe I've been using that term 'Arc' now…lol), not to mention a very, very, very, very, (you get the idea) sudden change in things.

I don't want to post any spoilers here as I know I will probably be flamed for that, lol, so you guys have to watch out for the next chapter which will be entitled: '**The Miracle and the Flickering Flame in the Darkness'. **Quite a long name for a chapter, ne?

Well, until the time that I upload the said chapter, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out.

_Note: Just for those who are curious, I'll be supporting David Cook and Brooke White now in American Idol just because Ramiele is quite close to them and thinks of them as an older brother and a mother-figure in the competition respectively._


	31. Miracle & Flickering Flame in Darkness

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

**A/N:**

I had just noticed it now when I looked up at my other fanfics that I had been writing here for almost five years now. I didn't know it was that long already!

Anyways, as nostalgic as it is, I could not help but have some regrets for not having that much time in writing now-a-days than I did when I first began as a newbie writer in FFN hoping to get as much reviews and hits as I wrote Hope of Darkness. I have, as I can see it, gone a long way as when I first began though I know I have far too much to learn yet before I really become a great a writer as my late Uncle.

Putting that aside, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

-- **end Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Miracle and the Flickering Flame in the Darkness**

* * *

_**Previously…**_

_Raising his right hand towards the tiger-of-a-monster, Takuya began to focus his energy when suddenly…_

_"Something's wrong!" Kaizen suddenly said._

_"I agree… Flayhm's energy seems to be leaving Takuya's body!" HIltz added. "What's going on here?"_

_"What?" Everyone said in unison._

_When everyone looked over at Takuya, they could see Flayhm faintly. The tiger was now attacking while Takuya was being shielded by Flayhm. Takuya apparently could not see that he was unable to conjure a Fire attack on his hand._

When Takuya did notice, it was too late as Flayhm was suddenly flung out of the way. Seeing as Takuya has no means to defend himself, Kouji and Katsuharu decided to act.

Ordering Chiaki to create for them a barrier made of water that would protect them from the Ancient Flames, Katsuharu and Kouji made it just in time to rescue Takuya out of the monster's attack.

_Takuya, who was still in a trance and quite oblivious to what was already happening, continued to stare at his hands as if searching for an answer in them._

_"What are we going to do with this thing?" Kouji asked._

_"I have a feeling that this thing and those monsters that came along with it, has been called forth from darkness." Katsuharu said. "And I think the only way to beat darkness is by using light. You do understand what I am saying, don't you… Bearer of Light, Kouji Minamoto?"_

* * *

Kouji was taken aback by what Katsuharu had called him. He remained silent however as he also could hear the gasps from his other companions.

"Lord Kouji is… the Bearer of Light?" Izumi asked as she thought how things had surely took a surprising turn now.

"I didn't expect it to be you, you know that?" Katsuharu said as he and Kouji dodged an attack from the monster after making sure to have hidden Takuya safely. "If I hadn't noticed that mark you have on the back of your neck, I would never have guessed that there was another Chosen One among us."

Kouji turned to face Katsuharu and asked, "You know about that?"

It was the Leader of the Organization who answered his query. "We know about the markings of the Chosen Ones as these markings are Ancient Characters written on any part of a person's body and proof that that person is indeed a Chosen One. We can assume that you know nothing of what it meant then?"

Kouji nodded and as Junpei heard the explanation from the Leader he could not help but have sweat forming in his brow. He suddenly felt scared and unsure of himself but he did not voice out his concern.

"Then are you certain that I am who you say I am?" Kouji asked as the roar of the tiger echoed through the air.

"'_me'a_', That is what the symbol on your neck says and it means 'light' in our language." Katsuharu said as he unleashed a barrage of attacks of his own to push the enemy back, which he did manage only that the enemy seemed not to receive any fatal damages. "That is proof enough of who you are."

The beast roared once again as if calling for its minions.

"But… I… I don't know how to use it as you guys have." Kouji said.

"You don't need to think of using it, just feel it, grasp it and it will aide you." Tomoki shouted.

But Tomoki's voice was drowned out by the roar and the sudden attack by the monster, which was aimed directly at those who were behind the flaming wall – Izumi and the others.

"Izumi, Tomoki," Teppei said, "Barrier Up!"

At once the two understood what Teppei meant and they immediately called forth a shield of their element together with his in order to block the said attack. They managed to do so, and just in the nick of time.

Katsuharu and Kouji could not help but breathe a sigh of relief when they saw that they were all safe under the protective dome that their three companions have created.

"That was a close one." Teppei said as he too breathe a sigh of relief, then facing Katsuharu and Kouji added, "You two better figure out a way to beat this monster soon! Who knows how long our barrier can last!"

Katsuharu nodded at this as Izumi shouted, "Lord Kouji, you have to find a way to awaken the power within you… otherwise, who knows what will happen."

Kouji gripped his sword even tighter, he could not help but feel the pressure that was being placed on him – the responsibility that was being carried on his shoulder became even heavier as Katsuharu once again repeated that only he could truly finish the beast.

"No pressure, right?" Kouji said trying to lift his mood for even just a little bit.

Takuya, all the while that this was happening, was still lost. Flahym could not help but watch as his breath became hoarse calling for him to awaken as he crawled to him.

_"Damn it!"_ Kouji thought to himself. _"How the hell am I suppose to do this? What kind of tip is 'just relax' when we are faced with such a crisis?"_

The monster continued to pound on the barrier hoping to create some dent into it or even destroy it completely.

"I'll make the enemy busy," Katsuharu said as he feared the barrier would soon break, "You, on the other hand, Lord Kouji, find a way to unlock your power."

Kouji nodded as Katsuharu dashed towards the enemy and fired some energy balls made from his element – which was Metal. He watched as how Katsuharu bid time not only for him but for the others to move back as well. He watched as how Katsuharu charged in without even thinking of his well-being, putting his duty first above all else. This man before him was certainly a man of honor.

Suddenly, Kouji felt slightly ashamed of himself.

_"Honor?"_ He thought to himself, _"What is honor really?"_

* * *

He was panting as he faced his armed foe, his hands griping on the training sword that Knight Apprentices were allowed to carry and use during their practice sessions. His long hair was as soaked with sweat as his whole body was.

His training partner, and also his foe for this session, was just as tired as he was and as sweaty as he was as well.

The sun was not helping as well and neither was the wind – for their was hardly any and the sun was giving off intensive heat as making one think if the sun wanted all of them in the training hall to melt.

The people watching the session however, cared less of whether they were melted away by the heat or they end up shriveling away for this was the training session where the famous Kouji Minamoto was participating in.

He, Kouji Minamoto, has always been favored by everyone in the Knight Academy. He was well-known and well-loved by his colleagues and even those who were studying in the Scholastics Academy would constantly watch his matches – most of them are of the female kind as well. He didn't mind it at all nor did he gave much thought or care as to who was there to watch even if it were a battalion of what his comrades and fellow Knight Apprentices would rate as an A+ kind of woman. All he cared about and thought of was becoming the best, respectable and honorable knight worthy of whatever title might be bestowed on him – as long as he deserved it, and he knew he deserved only the best.

Facing the brown-haired sparring partner before him, he felt irritated as how it was taking so long to win this one battle. This wasn't supposed to be so. He was known as the Swift Wolf of the Knight's Academy – known for felling his enemies before they can even act… and yet, here before him is someone who can evenly match him.

"Damn it." He cursed under the blazing sun. "Just how long will it take to get this guy out. Damn the heat!"

The people in the training hall were beginning to talk among themselves wondering who Kouji the Swift Wolf's training partner was. This made Kouji even more frustrated as he thought, '_Damn this guy! These people are mine, my audience and his turning them into his favor! What the hell's happening?_'

His foe however, did not care. This man was focused, Kouji could see that.

'_But he's not as good as I am… not yet at least._' He thought.

Gripping his training sword tighter and poising himself for what he believes would be the final attack, Kouji felt his body and his mind at the ready. His enemy did the same and all the people watching them held onto their seats as they awaited the battle to reach its climax.

All it took was one swing. All it took was 1.5 seconds worth of time. All it took was a blink of an eye or less. It was all it took for the training session to end.

Everyone was on their feet, eyes wide open. The sound of disbelief reverberated through the hall.

Kouji was on his back, his sword a couple of meters away from him while his the sword of his foe was aimed at his head. That day was the day that Kouji Minamoto, the favored one, lost his first duel. A day that he would never, ever forget.

Punching the wall of the Hospital Wing, Kouji could care less about the electrifying pain it caused him. He had lost.

"Damn it!" He said as he let his anger blow out. "How could that have happened? How could I have lost?"

He had thought tat he was alone inside, which is why he was so surprised when someone spoke from behind.

"Cool down, Minamoto." Came his Knight Captain's voice, Captain Naramura.

"C-Captain." Kouji said taken aback, "W-what are you doing here?"

"I came to check up on you when I learned you were defeated by that rookie." Naramura said as he sat down by the chair. "I figured that you would be a bit pissed off by what happened, and I guess that was an understatement."

Silence was Kouji's answer.

"So, how does it feel to lose a match?" Came the question he did not expect to be asked to him.

He was angered by the question. "Isn't it obvious, Captain? It feels like crap! I can't accept that I was defeated by that newbie… I lost the respect of those people out there!"

"Respect?" the Captain asked. "Tell me, do you know for certain what respect is? Is it how they treat you – greeting you as you pass through the halls of the academy, giving you what you want, swooning over you? Is that what you think respect is?"

Silence.

"Respect is more than that, Kouji." The Captain went on. "Respect is when you do not trample on others when attaining something you dream of. Respect is when you accept a person as he or she is, when you do not judge him so easily. Respect is when you do not take advantage of a person's weakness. The list for what respect is all about is long, but those are just some of the qualities of what respect ought to be. So I would believe that what those people in the hallways give you is not _true_ respect in a sense."

"What are you talking about, Captain?" Kouji asked. "If you are to just lecture me after my defeat then I would greatly appreciate it if you would leave."

"Now, now… I am still your Captain above all else." Naramura said. "Now, you're just being disrespectful."

Another round of silence.

"Do you know what that rookie said when you walked out of the Training Hall after the battle?" Naramura asked. "He was surprised but managed to tell me this: 'I am honored to have fought such a man, win or lose, it wouldn't have mattered for I know we both did our best and fought fairly'. Those were his exact words, it was funny and surprising coming from a rookie."

"Honor, huh?" Kouji said as he turned around.

"There is nothing to be down about, Kouji." Captain Naramura spoke with wisdom. "That rookie was right, you both did fought fairly. People would not talk about how you would lose if you lost with grace and with honor. In our profession, life and death is a coin toss away but even so, we face each mission, each assignment, each war with courage and dignity that a Knight should possess. It is as they say: all man dies but only some truly lives."

"Then what is Honor?" Kouji asked. "To you it is living with dignity and dying for a cause and for your duty, is it not, Captain?"

"You can say that, but sometimes, Honor can be simply lived." The Captain spoke, ready to tell a story. "Do you know about a place called, Eleru?"

"Eleru? It's a small village down south famous for its Apples, isn't it?" Kouji replied.

Naramura nodded. "I grew up in that place. My family wasn't rich, actually we have less than a normal family would so we take as much as we can. It may sound surprising coming from me, but back when I was a kid, I would sneak around other people's backyard and climb up their Apple trees just so I can steal some for my family, after all, eating Apples is better than not having anything to eat at all. There was a very rich family living in that laid-back village and that family owned the most number of well-grown Apple trees. People who were given some of its fruit would always say how delicious it was as compared to the other trees that grow in the village which paled in comparison. I always wanted to taste those trees' Apples however, as much as I was a thieving, young man back then, I never, not once stole any Apples from their field."

"Why?" Kouji asked. "You could have stolen some, right? You shouldn't have settled for anything less?"

Naramura laughed. "Yes, that was what a lot of people would have thought but you see, I did not steal anything from them because the son of that wealthy man was my friend… and I honored my friendship with him much more than my desire to eat and feed my family with the most delicious apples."

Silence once again was all Kouji could answer.

"You may find it confusing now, but someday, you will make for yourself a belief of what honor is about." The Captain spoke as he stood up and began walking towards the door. "All I can say to you now is this: The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be, in reality, what we would appear to be."

* * *

The monster's roar grew louder as Katsuharu was thrown back by it's powerful tail swipe.

Katsuharu, although knowing that his strength was reaching its limit, continued to stand up. His knees were already wobbling and blood was trickling down his forehead from the impact. But even as his body argued with his decision, he paid no heed. His mind was set. He would continue to stand up and by Kouji as much time as he needed just so he could awaken his dormant power as a Chosen One and dispel the darkness that had come their way.

Junpei watched in silence and in awe together with everyone else inside the magical barrier that Izumi, Tomoki and Teppei conjured. There was the man who would throw his life in order to save the many, and here he was, despite of his vow to become stronger and to be the one to do the protecting, still shivering in fright – useless.

It was as if the monster had lost interest in Katsuharu as it turned around and resumed pounding on the now-weakening barrier.

"This… is… not… good." Teppei said as the large paws of the monster hit the barrier sending the earth to shake."Chiaki, maybe you should forget about reserving your strength and help with the barrier."

"No." their Leader was the one who answered. "Chiaki's power is to be reserved for healing as they would surely be in need of it. I trust Katsuharu and Kouji… they would save us before this barrier is broken."

"But…" Izumi was about to protest when a violent hit was trusted into the barrier turning it into pieces.

"Too late!" Tomoki shouted as they were all thrown back by the surprisingly powerful force from the attack.

The powerful sound of shattering glass awakened Kouji from his reminiscing. He had been spacing and this was the cost of it. Both he and Katsuharu were too far off to reach in time as the monster was ready to end the lives of the others. No one was in the right condition to conjure another shield. Tomoki, Teppei and Izumi were all out of energy and Chiaki had been knocked out cold by the impact, the Leader certainly could not protect everyone from a monster as large and powerful as this.

It was already raining cats and dogs and thundered echoed through the sky. Junpei was the only one who was standing after the attack and after looking around, he was as surprised as Katsuharu and Kouji were but much more powerful was the feeling of fear. He shook underneath his armor as he could almost feel and smell the breath of the monstrous creature before him. He wanted to run. He wanted to escape and yet, his body would dare not move.

"Is this it?" He asked himself, teary eyed and shaking. "It can't be…"

"Junpei! Izumi! Tomoki!" Kouji shouted as he ran. But it seemed as though the more he ran towards them, the farther they were. "No!"

A powerful heartbeat.

_What is it that you desire?_

"Strength…?"

A loud thunder erupted in the sky as lightning flashed.

_What is it that you wish to attain?_

"Courage…?"

A prevailing roar sounded deafening those who will hear it.

_What is it that you wish to grasp?_

At that moment, Kouji understood and Junpei knew.

"I want to protect everyone!" They both shouted in unison.

What happened next was not something that Katsuharu or anyone could have possibly imagined to happen that night as it only added to the stack of surprising events that occurred that day. The symbol on the back of Kouji's neck shone in a brilliant white color and Junpei's right arm, which he had always wrapped a bandage around of, began to glow with a calming yet, powerful purple color.

"Wha-what's happening?" Junpei said as he squinted his eyes.

"What's going on?" Kouji asked at the same time.

The monster closed its eyes and backed away seemingly blinded by the lights that were suddenly shining out of the two youths.

"Can it be…?" The Leader gasped. "Kouji's latent power has awakened and… Junpei is also a…"

_You who desire for courage, reach for it with your own hands and attain that which you wish for… protect those you care for._

It was as if someone was instructing him of what to do as Junpei placed his hands together, as if he was about to pray, and closed his eyes. As soon as he did so, electricity suddenly began flowing around his body and building up in his hands.

"Who could have guessed it?" Tomoki said as he was at awe at what was happening. "Junpei…"

Opening his eyes and allowing this unseen force to guide him, Junpei pointed his hands at the direction of the monster and when he did so, a set of brilliant, blue streaks of light – electricity, gushed forth enveloping the enemy and electrocuting it. Junpei knew that it wasn't enough and that he had only hindered its movements for just a short bit of time.

"Lord Kouji!" Junpei shouted.

Kouji nodded and he, like Junpei before him, allowed the Spirits to teach him what he needed to do. And as 'they' have instructed, he held his sword before him and closed his eyes. When he did so, light began flowing into the sword's blade. Those who were watching could feel that the light was no ordinary one – it was beautiful and calming but at the same time frightening and powerful.

_You who desire for strength to protect the ones you care for, let your heart be your weapon and let the light shine forth to pierce the darkness!_

Kouji shot open his eyes and without knowing that he possessed such a speed, dashed forwards only to see that within seconds he was facing the monster who was ten times his size. If he was feeling any kind of fear, his eyes did not show it.

The monster roared, whether it was in pain, agony or in annoyance, no one knew.

And with one swift motion with his shimmering sword, Kouji sent forth a wave of light directed at the tiger-like monster and as if it wasn't enough, followed it up by a thrust to where the monster's heart should be.

With one, final, and loud roar the monster collapsed. When the monster had stopped breathing, a dark shadow floated from its body, which has began to shrink. With a deafening shriek that made everyone block their ears, the dark shadow flew to the direction of an island.

"What was that?" Izumi asked. "That thing?"

"A 'Spirit of the Abyss'." The Leader replied, "And it seems like it was heading for Lone Island. Which means that the person whose controlling the beasts and monsters that attacked us today are in there."

The moment that the shadow disappeared, the rain began to stop and the stormy clouds began to break letting the sun shine its brilliance.

When Teppei and Katsuharu saw that there was no longer any threat, they both rushed to Chiaki's, who was still unconscious, side.

"That's good." Teppei said as he heaved a sigh of relief, "She didn't get injured as much as I feared."

Katsuharu nodded. "Anyway, we better get her someplace warm where she can rest properly." Then facing their Leader said, "My Lady, please excuse us, we need to get Chiaki some treatment."

The Leader nodded and let them go. But before they could even move one step forwards, Takuya shouted.

"F-Flayhm!" Takuya said in a loud and worried voice. After a while of being in a trance, he was finally awakened. "Flayhm, what's wrong with you?"

Everyone then turned into the direction where Takuya was, and there they saw that Flayhm had stopped moving and was slowly but surely fading. As they saw the spectacle before them and the look of anxiety in Takuya, they knew that what Hiltz and Kaizen felt wrong of him was true.

"I-Im… sorry… Takuya…" Flayhm said in a weak voice as he forced himself to speak. "I… don't know… what's wrong… with me…"

"Why?" Takuya asked not to Flayhm but to the Leader of the Organization, "Why can't I feel Flayhm's presence any more even though he's still here?"

After hearing Takuya's query, the older woman quickly went by his side and closed his eyes. Hiltz and Kaizen, who were summoned by Tomoki and Izumi quickly did the same.

"Impossible!" Hiltz said.

"What is it, Hiltz?" Tomoki asked.

"Someone's not just draining Flayhm and Takuya of their powers but taking Flayhm away from Takuya as well." Kaizen was the one who answered and when she did, everyone gasped.

"What did you say?" Takuya asked facing Kaizen's direction. "That's… N-no way! Flayhm!"

"Is there anyway to stop this?" Izumi asked. "Is there anyway to keep Takuya from losing his Guardian?"

The Leader shook her head and said with sadness in her voice. "Unless we know why this is happening and who is taking Flayhm away, there is nothing we can do…"

"NO!" Takuya shouted. "Flayhm! Flayhm!"

Flayhm smiled weakly, "I'm glad… you finally snapped out… of that trance…. I…was…worried."

"You don't have to worry anymore, Flayhm." Takuya said, his eyes was beginning to get teary. "See? I'm back… I'm back to normal, so please…"

"We can't just stand around like this!" Kouji said, agitated. "There must be something we can do."

Silence was the answer he got from everyone.

"Takuya…I'm sorry… I wasn't… able to… stop that… clone from hurting… you." Flayhm continued on, he was quickly fading now. "I know… I promised… never to let… anything bad… happen to you…"

"Don't blame yourself, Flayhm…" Takuya said. "It was me… I was weak and I let my anger get out of control. It wasn't your fault!"

Flayhm looked at him, "Do… you… mean… that…?"

Takuya nodded. "If that's what making you disappear then forget about it! It isn't your fault!"

The Spirit Guardian of Fire closed his eyes. "I… wish… I… could… stop… whatever… it… is… that's… severing… our… ties… but… I… can't…"

"Don't say that!" Takuya shouted. "No one can sever the ties that we have. No one!"

"This can't be happening to him…" Junpei muttered. "He's been through enough already…"

Flayhm had almost, completely vanished. He smiled at what Takuya said. "I… have… always… admired… your… conviction… even… when… you… were… still… a… kid."

Flayhm reached out his small hand and touched the bandage around Takuya's right eye as he touched his left eye with his other hand. "I'm… running… out… of… time, Takuya… This… isn't… much… but… I… hope… this… would… help… you… and… keep… some… of… my… power… with… you. I… am… glad… to… have… met… you, to… have… been… your… Guardian… and… your… partner. But… most… of… all, I'm… glad… to… have… called… you… my… friend."

And with that Flayhm vanished completely.

"FLAYHM!" Takuya shouted as loud as he could, as if by calling him louder he would return.

* * *

**To be continued…**

**A/N:**

Well, another 13 pages (22 pages if double spaced) worth of Chapter for you guys. Hope you enjoyed it. It felt really different writing this new chapter for who knows what reason, but I am glad that I pulled it through in the end.

Originally, this chapter was much longer, but seeing that if I did not change it a bit, it would ruin the flow of the story, so I decided to cut it as I did and just continue on with it on the next chapter.

I can't help but thank everyone who had been reading up to this point and reviewing this fanfic. Whenever I read a review, I could not help but feel that writing was worth it knowing that there are people who reads what I write and who appreciates it as much as I do. For that, a thousand thank you's would not be enough for you all.

I made Kouji's flashback seem a bit OC-ish, but I had to do that if I wanted to have a good over-all result for this chapter. The next chapter would probably be the last chapter for the Shore Arc as we move on to a new one – Lone Island Arc. The next chapter won't be as action-packed as this one but it would hopefully, allow everyone a glimpse of the characters even more.

The next chapter would be entitled: '**You'll Never Be Alone**'. It's a good title for that chapter if I do say so myself… lol.

Anyways, seeing as how long this has already been, I will leave it up to here. So until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! See you all later and don't forget to review!

-- **end of Author's Notes**


	32. Troubles

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

**A/N:**

Well, I started writing this as soon as I uploaded the 31st (by FFN's chapter count) chapter but decided to wait for reviews before updating. Anyway, this chapter is basically an Arc Finale as well as an opening for the new Arc – Lone Island Arc. Also, it follows up on where the last chapter ended and, as I have said on the post Author's Notes, would all be about the characters… no fighting… well, at least not one with weapons or anything.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy reading this chapter!

**-- End Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Troubles**

* * *

They were back at the mansion. The townspeople were happy and were grateful for saving them. Yet, as the townspeople were celebrating, there was no celebration inside the mansion.

Takuya had locked himself up in his room, not allowing anyone to come in and speak with him. He touched his right eye, the one that had been bandaged up, the one where the other Takuya took his right eye, and the one where his new eye was – the eye that Flayhm gave him as a parting gift.

This 'new' eye had the same color as Flayhm's – red-orange like that of a fiery fire. At the memory of Flayhm, Takuya could not help but cry. He blamed himself over and over again. He could not help but think that if he hadn't been in that trance-like state, he would have done something.

Outside of his room, Junpei, Tomoki and Izumi were all trying to make him come out. After a while Junpei sighed, "This isn't going anywhere."

Tomoki nodded, "Why can't we just bust this door open and drag him out? He's being stubborn!"

"I would have said 'go ahead' if we aren't only just guests in this mansion." Izumi thought to herself, then shouted, "Takuya, come out now, please!"

Silence.

"You made everyone worried when you wouldn't wake up before and you made us even more worried when you suddenly disappeared and were in that trance-like state." Izumi went on. "Now you're doing it all over again. Do you have a kick at making everyone worry about you?"

"Just go away!" Takuya shouted at the other side of the door.

This fueled Izumi's anger and annoyance of him much more.

"He's really asking for it!" Izumi said aggravated. At that Izumi gathered wind in the palm of her hands.

"L-lady Izumi… what are you planning on doing?" Junpei asked. "You're not seriously considering on bringing the door down, are you?"

"Of course not." Izumi said and with that she allowed herself to be covered by the wind in her hands. "I'm just going to use the same thing that I use whenever I sneak out of my room when we first began journeying together."

"What?" Tomoki asked. "You were sneaking out?"

But before He could say anymore, Izumi had walked past the wall and was already inside Takuya's room. Junpei and Tomoki were both surprised, as surprised as Takuya was when he was suddenly facing a very angry Izumi.

"I told you to go away." Takuya said as he turned his back from her and quickly re-wrapped the bandage to hide his right eye. "Just… Just leave me alone."

"All the time I was hoping you were still alive and that we would meet again, all that time I was thinking of what to say to you." Izumi began. "I thought that you would say something along the lines of 'It's been a while' or 'I'm back' or something… but 'Go away'? 'Leave me alone'? That's not something I would have expected to hear coming from you."

"If our reunion would have been different then… maybe I could have answered to your expectations of it. But…"

"But what, Takuya?" Izumi asked. "What makes it different then? Is it because you lost Flayhm? Is that it? You know what I think? I think Flayhm would be disappointed at you right now."

"What do you know about how Flayhm would think?" Takuya suddenly turned around and shouted, "You don't know that. You don't know how I feel right now."

"Don't I?" Izumi asked, if Takuya was up for a shouting match, she was not about to fall back. "Then how about all those months that we thought you were dead? How about all those nights I spent crying for you? Or about those times I couldn't help but blame myself for what I thought had happened to you? How about that?"

Takuya was taken aback by Izumi's words. He didn't know what to say so he just kept his mouth shut and looked away.

"Tell me that I don't know how you are feeling right now. Tell me that again and I'll go away." Izumi went on, she was beginning to cry now.

"Please… stop." Takuya said. "I-I'm sorry…"

Izumi slumped down, all the weight she had been carrying inside her seemed to have pulled her down along with gravity. She was still crying and Takuya, wanting to comfort her and to ask of her forgiveness, knelt down beside her and hugged her.

"I… I didn't mean what I said." Takuya said. "I didn't mean to have left you alone like that. If I had been given a choice to go back to you when I was rescued by the Organization, I would have done so without a minute's hesitation…"

"You're an idiot, Takuya." Izumi said sobbing, "You make people worry of you and then dwell in the past blaming yourself…"

Takuya cringed. Izumi was still giving him a lecture despite the waterworks.

"There was nothing you could have done." She continued. "Nothing anyone of us could have done so just let go of it… I know Flayhm would like that."

"Then, did you let go as well?" Takuya asked.

Izumi looked at him tears running down her face. When Takuya saw that she was still crying, he wiped away her tears awaiting for her answer.

"What?" She asked, not knowing what Takuya was really asking about.

"Did you let go?" Takuya repeated the question then, added, "Of me, that is, when you thought I was dead…"

Izumi slapped him gently on the face. "How can you ask me that?"

"I want to know, Izumi." Takuya said, he was serious about this. "Tell me."

Izumi blushed a bit before answering, "I never once let you go not after I remembered who you really were… of who we were when we were still young. Every night I cried and prayed that you weren't dead, that you were still alive… I couldn't let you go. But, I didn't expect that we would meet again as we did… and that so many things would happen when we did."

Takuya remembered as Izumi did of his clone. "Did they tell you… why I couldn't say who I was even when we have met once again back at the Fort City?"

Izumi nodded. "They placed a seal on you that would prevent you from even giving a hint of who you were. They said that if you forced yourself to speak of your identity, you could… die."

It was Takuya's turn to nod. "That's why I had to hide my identity, until the time was right. If it weren't for Flayhm teaching me how to use my Level 3 power, I would not have been able to break the seal. But even as I did, I still found no time to tell you. I was so worried of how you would react. But then came _him_. I couldn't bear him acting as me and when he…"

Izumi placed a finger over his mouth to stop him from speaking any more. She did not wish to remember it. Takuya then stopped.

"I'm sorry." He said.

An awkward silence filled the room that had just been echoing with shouting a couple of minutes before. Neither knew what to say or where to begin once again.

It was Izumi who opened up again. "Can I ask… what Flayhm's gift was to you?" She asked.

Takuya looked the other way and said, "I don't mind but… you might find that it doesn't suit me at all."

At that, Takuya once again took off the bandage. As he was taking it off Izumi did not know what to expect. She could not think how disgusting it would be to look at the place where his eye once was, but she was surprised when she saw what she saw.

"Takuya!" Izumi exclaimed, "That's…"

Takuya nodded. "It's Flayhm's gift – he's left eye. It doesn't suit me does it? The color of the eye, I mean."

Izumi laughed. It was the first time that he had heard her beautiful laughter for a long, long time. "Yes, it doesn't. I prefer your chestnut-colored eyes but, it is his gift after all."

Izumi hadn't taken her hands off of his cheek when Takuya touched them and closed his eyes. This surprised Izumi but not as much as what Takuya said.

"I missed this so much." Takuya said, his eyes still closed. "And I missed you above all else."

"Takuya…"

Just then, Takuya remembered something as he opened his eyes. "I just remembered, you still haven't given me your answer, Lady Izumi."

"Answer?" Izumi asked not knowing what Takuya was talking about and found it weird that Takuya addressed her as such. "Answer to what?"

"You forgot already?" Takuya asked, then he sighed. "After all the trouble I went through saying it too."

"I don't understand, what are you talking about?"

"How about this then," Takuya said as he readied himself to refresh her memory. "You did keep your promise to tell your father what I told you before, right? It's somewhere along those lines…"

"And what answer would I suppose to give you of that?" Izumi asked. "I did tell him that."

It was then that Izumi realized what Takuya was saying as she remembered the rest…

_Takuya caressed her face as he spoke. "I don't regret ever meeting you, and I never will. No matter what happens, Izumi…no matter where this leads, I will always, always protect you."_

_Just then, the world began to shake._

"_What's going on?" Izumi asked._

"_Someone must be waking either one of us up." Takuya said then added. "Remember, remember to tell them that the King already has a way to extract the Ancient Powers. Find a way to stop him, Izumi."_

"_I will, Takuya." Izumi said. "But you have to promise me that you will find a way to escape from there, you just can't die."_

_Takuya nodded. And just before he vanished, he spoke the three words that Izumi never had thought to hear._

"_I love you."_

If Izumi was blushing before, her face was even redder now as she remembered and understood what Takuya meant.

"Takuya, I…"

Takuya simply smiled. "That's good, you remembered. You don't need to answer me now though, if you don't feel like it." Takuya then stood up. "I'll wait for the time when you're ready to tell me your answer. No matter how long it takes."

Izumi shook her head. "It's not that… It's just that you took me off guard, that's all."

Takuya looked over at her. "Really? I didn't know that Commander Orimoto's daughter could be caught off guard like that."

"Funny." Izumi said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "And here I was about to tell you my answer and all."

"You were?" Takuya asked, it was his turn to be surprised.

"Now, why are you the one who's off guard?" Izumi asked teasing. "You were the one who brought that up."

At that Takuya laughed and Izumi followed. He could not help but feel that somehow, things were felt as though they were back in Harim again when they were little.

* * *

Outside, Junpei was straining his ears on the door just so he could hear what they were talking about while Tomoki was busying himself by playing with his powers for a bit.

"They were shouting just a couple of minutes ago, and now they're laughing!?" Junpei said. "Just what are those two doing?"

"Relax and give them their privacy, Lord Junpei." Tomoki said, he was already bored. "Those two deserve it."

"But…! Lady Izumi and that…" Junpei was about to say something of Takuya but Tomoki immediately cut him off.

"Lord Takuya is Lady Izumi's childhood friend, just so you know." Tomoki said. "And the person who, in several occasions during my journey with them, saved her life."

Just then, someone spoke from behind.

"What on earth are you two doing?" Kouji asked as he happened to pass by them.

"Ah… Lord Kouji!" Junpei exclaimed, immediately straightening himself. "I was just… uh…"

"Is Lady Izumi inside?" Kouji asked Tomoki as he left Junpei to stutter on his own.

Tomoki nodded. "Yes. I had been telling Lord Junpei to stop listening in on their conversation but…"

"Hey!" Junpei said. "I wasn't listening in, Lord Kouj, I was... uh… surveying the area!"

Kouji eyed Junpei with suspicion but did not say a word much to Junpei's relief. Instead, Koji said, "As interesting as it is to know what those two are talking about, I suggest we leave them by themselves for now. They have a lot of catching up to do."

Tomoki nodded. "My point exactly! Anyway, Lord Kouji, can I ask how you and Junpei are planning on controlling your new-found powers?"

Kouji looked over at yonder and replied, "I'm not sure how. I don't know how I even managed to use that power from before, do you, Junpei?"

"No, sir." Junpei replied. "If felt so surreal… I'm still at a shock myself."

"Then, why not ask for Katsuharu and the others' help?" Tomoki asked. "I want to help teach you but, I don't know how to do so myself since I was also taught by the Elders on how to use it."

Kouji nodded. "I agree. However, would you two mind going before me, there's something I need to do first."

Although curious as to what the Vice Commander meant by that, the two nodded and kept their mouth shut as they made their way to find where Katsuharu and the others were. Once Kouji knew that they were already out of sight and out of earshot, he looked over at the door to Takuya's room, his gaze distant and melancholic before walking towards the garden.

* * *

"I see…" Izumi said after hearing Takuya's story, "That woman said that you were tasked with Katsuharu's group to watch over us, but I thought she was just making it up."

"Well," Takuya said as he looked up at the ceiling. "That lady really caused me a lot of problems whenever I tried to sneak out of here. Also, I guess she and the Organization thought it'll be best to allow me to go after all the trouble I caused. Anyway, you also had me worried when I heard you went back to Harim to learn to control your power and when the King decided to destroy Harim… I had thought you were caught up in it."

"We learned of the attack even before it happened so nothing bad happened to us, but…" Izumi said and she lowered her head, "the Elders… they said that the Elders were killed in the process."

Takuya nodded solemnly. "We came as fast as we could but… it was already too late. I did my best though, to make them a resting place."

"I see." Was all Izumi could answer as she remembered how nice and welcoming the Elders were upon her return and how patient they were in teaching her.

"So, how's your father doing?" Takuya asked with hesitation in his voice. "I heard that he had escaped the wrath of the King when the King openly announced his plans and your father stood on his belief. Is he safe? Is he alright?"

"That's kind of a surprising question coming from you." Izumi said. "I never knew you cared about my father."

"Why? Don't tell me you're going to bring up the fact that I am a Kanbara and my father simply detests yours?" Takuya said looking at her. "I've told you before right, Izumi… I am me and I don't plan on being like my father or thinking the way he does… well, I used to think that I wanted to be like him when we were kids, remember? Besides, your father was very kind to me when we were young."

"Yes, I remember that." Izumi said giggling as she remembered. "You would always go around the Village announcing you'll be as strong, courageous and honorable knight as he was."

"But he changed…" Takuya said with a sigh, "So? How's your father?"

"Well, Father's in hiding as far as I know. To tell you the truth, only Lord Kouji knows where he is. He says it's to protect both of us." Izumi replied.

"I see." Takuya said. "Don't you miss him?"

"Well, I do but I also know how important his location being hidden is." Izumi replied, there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. "But, I do get to talk with him from time to time. He gave me a way to communicate with him."

"That's good." Takuya said. "So, uh, does your father…"

"Know about you being in the mission before?" Izumi finished, then answered. "I told him. He was surprised at first and was worried of your loyalties but I assured him you're not taking sides back then. Why do you ask?"

"Honestly, I am a bit frightened of what your father might think." Takuya said sheepishly. "I mean, you do know how I feel about you, right? And well, what if your father learns of that… I wonder if he would accept me."

"I think he already does know." Izumi said in almost a whisper but loud enough for Takuya to hear.

"Wha--?"

"You don't need to worry though," Izumi quickly said seeing the worried look on his face. "Father was also trying his best back then, to help you escape… but when we learned you were dead, he gave up. He also blamed himself seeing as how I was acting at that time too."

"R-really?" Takuya said in disbelief. "I didn't know that."

Izumi could not help but laugh again, she was laughing a lot now…

"Why are you so worried of father? It's not as if you haven't met him before."

"But, that was a long time ago and a lot of things changed." Takuya said.

"Well, nothing does ever remain the same." Izumi told him as she stood up and walked towards the balcony.

"Everything changes, right?" Takuya said as he watched her from behind. The light of the setting sun made her mesmerizing even more. Faintly but surely they could hear the singing and the celebration from somewhere in town. "So, do you still think of me as an 'idiot', then?"

Izumi didn't look back as she watched the sun set and nodded. "Maybe…"

"Hey!" Takuya said standing up and walking over to her. Of course, she just laughed the question away.

Silence once again filled the box-shaped room but, it wasn't an awkward silence like before but rather, a peaceful kind of silence. Even though neither of them said anything and even though she didn't voice it out, the other knew that all has been left in the past now.

It was only after the sun had fully set and the stars began to appear out of their slumber did Izumi spoke again. "Are you worried?"

"About Kouichi?" He asked. Then nodded. "A bit. I am afraid for his sake, though, much more than worried. I know how my father and the King would go to lengths to get what they want…"

"But, they weren't able to force you… right?" Izumi added.

A nod came from Takuya once again. "But I can't help thinking, at that time, if they had threatened to harm you… I know that I wouldn't think twice in doing what they want just to make sure you are safe. I told you before, right? No matter what happens, I will always, always protect you."

Izumi smiled and thought to herself, "The Rabbit on the Moon, huh?"

* * *

Kouji allowed the wind caress him with his eyes closed a bit longer. He had a lot to think about and the blowing wind had always made him calm and able to collect and organize his thoughts. After several minutes have passed and when nothing but the sound of merriment could be heard, he opened his eyes and took something out of his pocket – a pendant shaped like a shield.

He gave of a weak and sad smile as he looked at the said item. His thumb trailing the words that were engraved on the middle – it was the words that his mentor, the Captain of the Knights Academy gave him along with the pendant on the day of his Graduation Ceremony.

'_Hold on to your dreams_' it read. It was the favorite phrase of the late Captain, and a phrase that Kouji has etched on his mind. The Captain did love to talk about dreams and honor and Kouji, as weird as he felt it sounded, thought that it was the Captain and his words that enabled him to have access on his so-called power several hours ago.

Looking beyond the sky and unto the brilliant stars that had spread across it, Kouji took notice of one that was shining the brightest. He remembered how his mentor enjoyed the stars and remembered 

his weird stories about them saying that the stars were the medium to communicate with those who were long gone. Kouji did not believe it, of course, but that didn't stop him from thinking that it wouldn't hurt if he did voice out his thoughts to the stars.

Making sure that no one was listening, Kouji then proceeded to talk whilst his eyes lingered on that shinning star.

"Master," He began, "I actually don't know what came over me to even think about doing this but I guess I really just wanted to talk to you.

"Master, I can't help but wonder if I have changed… somehow, despite how many years have gone by, I still feel as though I am still your annoying pupil who only thinks of himself and worries more of winning. It's funny, but with all honesty, I have forgotten all about what you have taught me, until now that is…

"I don't know if it was just my imagination of hearing your voice but, I guess I owe you gratitude for saving us all back there. If it weren't for your lecture on honor, I would never have been able to do what I did. Though… I am far from actually being able to mimic how I did it. It's funny, isn't it?

"You told me that I would find the answer to what honor truly was… I don't think I fully grasp what it is but, I think I'm beginning to understand, even if that understanding is but a fragment of the whole picture. Maybe someday, I will be able to face you and tell you what my answer is… but until then Master, please continue to watch over me."

At that, Kouji closed his eyes once again. When he looked up at the star again, he saw that the star blink as if his Master really did hear what he said. Thinking that it was only just his imagination, Kouji rubbed his eyes a couple of times and looked at the stars again only to see that it had returned to normal.

* * *

The next day came and as the morning rays of the sun hit the walls of the mansion, the Leader of the Organization called for everyone to gather in her office.

"Could you at least have waited a bit later to call us?" Takuya asked, not caring if he addressed the Leader properly or not, after all, he was still angry of her decision. "What's so important that you call us right after we have all just awaken."

"Takuya, hold your tongue!" Katsuharu ordered but Takuya just shrugged.

"It's pointless, Captain." Teppei said. "That guy will never learn."

"I'm not part of this Organization so why should I call her 'Leader'?" Takuya asked under his breath.

The Leader paid no heed however, which made Kouji, Izumi, Tomoki and Junpei believe that she was already accustomed to how Takuya addresses her.

After clearing her throat, she spoke, "We have located your missing companion, Lord Kouji. It seems that he is also being kept where that shadow you dispersed of yesterday went – to Lone Island."

"Are you certain about this?" Kouji asked.

Katsuharu nodded. "Our scouts have indicate that sometime ago a mysterious vessel landed in Lone Island and four people were reported to have gotten off. Soon after half a dozen of other vessels arrived there and more people got off. One of them had been reported as the General of the South, General Kimura."

"Then, Kouji must be there as well!" Takuya exclaimed. "How long will it take to get to Lone Island?"

"Five days at most." The Leader replied.

"Then let's get ready to depart at once!" Junpei said. "We have no time to lose since we have no idea what they are doing to him right now."

"I agree with Lord Junpei." Izumi said.

Tomoki nodded.

"Unfortunately, I cannot let you all go just yet." Came the surprising announcement.

"What?" Came the voices of the five, all with disbelief in them.

"What do you mean by that, my Lady?" Kouji asked. "Surely you are as worried as we are of our friend and of the General as well."

"We're very worried especially since…"

"Since what?" Takuya asked, his temper was rising yet again.

"Since we have also been informed that someone else had been captured by the King and his men." Chiaki finished, "We know how you all feel for we too have something we wish to settle with his men."

"What do you mean 'someone else has been captured'?" Izumi asked. "Who?"

"This may came as a surprise," the Leader warned before continuing on, "We have received reports that, Lady Izumi, your father has been captured as well."

Shock was evident in everyone's face – everyone except those who already knew, that is. All of a sudden, Izumi's knees felt weak and he stumbled back only to be caught by Takuya.

"Are you sure about this?" Takuya asked knowing full well what everyone else was thinking. "Shouldn't he be in hiding like Izumi had told me?"

"Hey!" Junpei said. "Since when were you given the right to call Lady Izumi by just her first name?" Junpei then quickly changed topic. "Anyway, he's right. Commander Orimoto is in hiding, no ne could possibly know where he is hiding except for the Vice-Commander."

Kouji nodded at this. "And I know for a fact that the Commander trusts no one else of that. Also, I can assure you that I did not tell anyone of where he can be found. Surely, there must be some form of mistake."

"Sadly, we have double and even tripled check our sources but it all points out that Izumi's father has really been taken by the enemy." Teppei said.

"Then that's reason enough even more to go there at once!" Takuya said.

"Tell me then, Takuya," the Leader spoke, "How are you going to fight against what the enemy would be throwing at you when you don't even have any power to fight and that you have lost one of your eye."

Izumi was about to speak but Takuya motioned her to be silent.

"Then keep Takuya here and send us instead." Junpei said. "We can fight."

"Can you now, Sir Junpei." The Leader retorted, "Then tell me, do you and Lord Kouji know fully by now how to use your powers at will?"

Kouji and Junpei also became silent.

"Then what about Lady Izumi and myself?" Tomoki asked. "Also, we have Lady Chiaki, and Sirs Katsuharu and Teppei. Surely for a rescue mission such as this, we would be enough?"

The Leader shook his head. "I would have agreed to that if only you five can use a higher level of your powers than you do now. Unfortunately, you all are nowhere near as strong as Takuya was when he still had his Level 3 accessible to him… and even with that kind of power, he was still no match for his clone then."

Even Tomoki was silenced.

"But, what of father?" Izumi asked.

"We have no idea how well he is faring against the enemy… all I can say is that your father is a very strong man…" the Leader spoke. "With how weak you all are now, I can only say that until all of you find a means to get stronger – especially you, Takuya, then we could only hope and pray for their safety."

* * *

Izumi had been silent for a while now. The laughter that she had the night before seemed never to have happened as she sulked in the room that she, Takuya, and Tomoki were all asked to use.

"I can't believe that they are honestly going to ensure that we don't get any ideas of rushing to Lone Island by ourselves." Tomoki said.

"Well, believe it." Takuya said with a sigh. "They can be pretty dedicated to this – those guards I mean. When I first was locked up just so I wouldn't go rushing to you guys, they even placed a barrier around my room… Thankfully, they aren't doing that now… After what I did."

"What you did?" Tomoki asked, curious as he saw the mischievous look on Takuya's face.

"Well, it was actually Flayhm's idea." Takuya said as he reminisced, "We couldn't destroy any part of the room to escape, so instead of destroying the place he showed me a way to make sure that they won't mess with us again."

"And what way is that?" Tomoki asked.

"Well, Flayhm made them feel how it feels to be inside a very, very large oven." Takuya said. "Since they made the barrier so that not a single kind of power can come in or out and destroy things, we simple kept the fire burning as they say. It took a while, but after making the whole place as hot as a Desert, if not hotter, they decided to put down the barrier for the heat to escape. And that's when I took my chance, unfortunately, I only got as far as the woods to the east before they captured me again. Flayhm and I both forgot that this was an island and the only way to get in and out of this place was by boat, ship or airship. Much to our dismay, we didn't have any of those."

Tomoki laughed despite the heavy atmosphere. "Somehow, I figured that you would do that – charging into something without thinking. It's good to have you back Takuya."

Takuya smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it's good to be back with you guys… if only things wouldn't go bad every now and then… and as frequently as they do."

Izumi then suddenly stood up surprising Takuya and Tomoki.

"Is there something wrong, Izumi?" Takuya asked.

"I just can't sit still knowing that my father is in danger." Izumi said. "How can that woman be so calm about it? Besides, why didn't you stop me from telling her that…"

Takuya quickly cut her off, "It's not something that we should talk carelessly about."

Tomoki gave the same confused expression as Izumi did but still managed to speak, "Well, as much as I hate to admit it, the Leader is right. Our levels are nowhere near where Takuya's level used to be and we don't even know how strong our enemy is. I think the Leader just want to ensure our safety and the highest possible percentage of success in saving them by making sure we're strong enough to match the enemy."

"In other words, she wants you guys to train." Takuya said as he walked over by the drawer and began rummaging for something. "And she wants me to find a way to get back the strength that I lost. She's a very demanding person, isn't she?"

"But still!" Izumi argued.

"I feel for you, Izumi." Takuya said. "But, let's face it… everyone of us is not strong enough to match that clone. If he happens to be there, I don't know what would happen."

Silence.

Suddenly, Izumi and Tomoki heard Takuya took something out of his drawer. They could not see a clear view of what it was from where they were but it seems as though Takuya was taking his time.

"What are you doing, Takuya?" Izumi asked.

"Just something I thought of to start off my training." Takuya said. "The sooner we train, the sooner we can become stronger and the sooner we can go save your father. Isn't that right?"

As Takuya turned around, they saw that he had taken a piece of cloth with weird markings on them and wrapped it around his wrists -- one on the left and one on the right.

"What the heck is that?" Tomoki asked.

"Back when I was still in Harim and training to be a warrior, the Elders gave me this saying that it would help me get a hold of my 'inner strength'." Takuya said. "They told me that I had a power that was sleeping inside of me and that the only way to awaken it was to train using this. I don't know if it would work again now, but I have to start at something, right? Besides, I don't feel like asking that woman or her cronies any help at this point."

"That would be better than not doing something... well, at least I would hope so." Kouji said as he entered the room. "But there's more we would have to learn than just using our powers as Chosen Ones, isn't that right, Takuya?"

Takuya nodded. "So much to learn, so little time, So I say let's get down to it."

After thinking for a short while, Tomoki agreed. As soon as he did, he and Kouji went to get Junpei and the others to begin their training leaving Takuya and Izumi behind.

"Why, Takuya?" Izumi repeated her question, "Why did you stop me back then and why stop me from mentioning something about the eye?"

"It's not something worth mentioning, Izumi." Takuya repeated her answer. "Just let it be for now. Besides, the eye only allows me to see from the right again if we were to expose that I have obtained Flayhm's eye, they might think that there is something more to it and they might get their hopes up only to be disappointed by it. So, unless I have fully understood if Flayhm's parting gift is just to restore my sight or if there is more, I would appreciate if we just keep this as a secret."

Izumi did not understand it at all. But decided to trust Takuya anyway thinking that he had a better grasp of the situation than her.

"Can we really do it?" Izumi asked. "Can we really make it in time to save my father?"

Takuya walked behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We will. I can't bear to see you looking as glum as that and I think everyone else feels the same. So please, cheer up even for just a little bit, Izumi."

Izumi turned around and buried her head on his chest, she was beginning to cry. Her strong façade before Kouji and Tomoki was quickly fading.

"But… what if we can't?" Izumi asked.

Takuya wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. "Don't think like that, Izumi. Have faith, in your father and in yourself as well."

* * *

**To be continued…**

**A/N:**

Well, another long chapter. The next chapter would begin a new story Arc for our fanfic so stay tuned. Sadly, I only received 1 review, which I am still thankful for, and I was still hoping for some more reviews from the past chapter but I figured that many a people are pretty busy and just took time to read and forgot to review so I uploaded this new chapter (I came to that conclusion while looking at my hit counter, though it is quite impossible to tell who is reading and who is just skimming).

Anyway, I'm thinking of updating COT:CW before I continue on with this since I seem to continually forget to do so. With that said, I'm shortening this post Author's Notes. YAWN See you later, everyone and don't forget to review!

**-- End Post Author's Notes**


	33. The First Ignition

**A Digimon Fontier Fanfic**

**BY Sakura Martinez**

**A/N:**

Well, since I updated CoT:CW, I had to push back the release of this new chapter for a day or so. Anyways, this chapter is pretty much shorter and more on the explanatory side than the rest of the chapters so far. I wouldn't explain what the explanation is, since that would just be spoiling the story, but I will allow you to read on… lol

BTW, I really had made sure that I upload this today and finish this chapter today as well since I was pretty much being lazy yesterday night when I began writing this. I told myself that unless I finish this chapter, I wouldn't be able to play with my PSP and finish Crisis Core again. And since I am already in the last leg of that game, I decided to slap myself and get to work. So, I hope you guys like this chapter as much as I would be enjoying finishing that game before writing a new chapter.

**-- End Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The First Ignition**

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It had already been three days since Takuya and company learned of the capture of Izumi's father and the possible whereabouts of her father and their friend , Kouichi. Three days since they all agreed to train and make themselves stronger and ready for whatever awaits them in the place that they would be heading to – Lone Island.

Of this three days of intense training, it was only Takuya who had refused to let the Organization's Leader, or anyone else for that matter, to oversee his training. Of course, before he obtained permission for this, an explosive debate erupted among the three members of the Organization who are also Chosen Ones and the Leader against Takuya. But in the end, Takuya remained firm and stood by his decision. He did not explain what the reason was, but seeing as the young Kanbara was not about to budge, they just let him be.

In these three days of intense training, Junpei and Kouji finally managed to get complete control of their powers, being able to summon them at will; Izumi and Tomoki had managed to obtain their Level 3 powers, although it was only by luck that they did so and are still learning on how to be able to use it when needed; Chiaki, Teppei and Katsuharu have unlocked their Level 3 powers completely making them more advanced in their powers than the other four. As for Takuya, no one knew what was going on with his training as apart from going solo, he also asked permission to train in the woods – a permission which had been granted to him after he swore he wouldn't try anything funny.

"How do you think Lord Takuya's doing?" Tomoki asked after their third day's training session, and as they were making their way back to their rooms. "Do you think he managed to get his power back?"

Izumi was silent, and although Tomoki did not direct the question at her, he still hoped that she was the one who answers. However, it was Kouji who gave him a reply:

"I hope he has managed to get his power back, even if just a fraction of it." Kouji replied as he continued to wipe sweat off of his face as they walked. "Even if he could only shoot fireballs again, that would be better than not having his powers back at all and only relying on his swordsmanship."

"He'd only be dragging us down if he didn't." Junpei said. This earned his an elbow to the gut from Tomoki. "What?"

Whispering as to not let Izumi, who was walking up front, hear anything, Tomoki replied. "I know you don't like Lord Takuya, but don't talk about him like that when we're in the midst of Lady Izumi!"

Junpei grunted.

It would appear that even if they had talked with a much louder voice, Izumi would not be able to hear them for she was lost in deep thought. This was proven when Kouji directed a question towards her and she did not respond nor seem like she heard him.

"Lady Izumi?" Kouji repeated several times but to no avail. Finally, the Vice Captain decided to grab her shoulders and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry, what is it?" Izumi asked.

"I was asking you if you would like to visit Lord Takuya." Kouji repeated his unanswered question. "You seem to be out of it, Lady Izumi, are you feeling alright?"

Izumi nodded. "Oh, yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking back on how I called the use of my Level 3… I just can't seem to remember how I did it. And also, I am worried still of my father's wellbeing."

Kouji let go. "I see. Well, at least try to stay with us, Lady Izumi, rather than letting your mind wander off to worry. It will do you no good, after all. And I am sure you will find a way to remember how you managed to use your Level 3. So, would you like to visit Lord Takuya? I'm sure he wouldn't mind you visiting him."

"I would like that." Was Izumi's reply, then she added. "But first I need to take a bath… I think we all do."

And she was right. They were pretty dirty from their training. After going to their separate rooms, each did what each wanted to do. Kouji, in his room, decided to have some more push-ups before taking a bath and changing his clothes; Junpei, the moment he saw his soft bed, immediately fell asleep on top of it, he was burned out with exhaustion; Tomoki decided to take a bath as soon as he got into his room and rest up a while afterwards; and Izumi, who took a short rest before taking a bath, also took Kouji's suggestion afterwards.

Not really thinking it much through, Izumi then went out of her room and head straight to the kitchen. After grabbing some food and placing them in the basket, she went out of the mansion through the mansion's southern exit to find herself in the clearing before the forest. Having remembered where Takuya said he would be if they needed him for anything, Izumi went on the same way putting Takuya's directional instructions to mind.

Walking past the great, sea of trees and turning from the large rock by the lake, Izumi went on westwards. It took a while before she got into another clearing. She had remembered the clearing to have a lot of large boulders and rocks all scattered about, so it was a surprise to her when she saw that only a few of the bigger rocks remained. This was the place where Takuya had been training.

Scanning the area looking for Takuya, Izumi went on forwards. She understood, as she went on, why Takuya chose that place. It was secluded, far away from the city and the mansion and away from any possible creatures that could get entangled in his training. He had been thinking about the safety of those around him and she understood why.

When she was still under the Elders' tutelage and when they had asked her to train with her powers, they reminded her of the dangers that she could encounter while she did so. They had also told her of the possibility that someone might get caught in her training and she might end up hurting anyone. They had also said that none of those things should happen as it was, first and foremost, the duty of a Chosen One to ensure the safety of the people.

_"It would seem that even though Takuya hated his training sessions back then,"_ Izumi thought as she continued to search for him, _"he still took the Elder's words to heart."_

It was only after a while, and with Kaizen's help, that she managed to find a cave. With Kaizen's detection, she told Izumi that Takuya was inside of the cave. Suddenly, as they were about to go inside, a sudden display of red, yellow, and orange lights erupted in the cave.

"Kaizen, what's going on?" Izumi asked. She was worried, and so she added, "Is Takuya alright?"

Kaizen smiled. "Don't worry, he's okay. Besides, he's the one making all that weird lights."

"He's what?" Izumi asked, and even before Kaizen could answer and explain, she had already went straight to the cave and inside.

She was about to call out his name when she suddenly saw him standing, his back turned from her and saw that Kaizen was telling the truth – the lights that were flashing at the cave's entrance did come from him. Izumi could not see what he was doing clearly, but when she saw his stance, she knew that he was still following the Elders' methods that had been taught to him and to her as well.

Takuya's eyes were closed and his hands were in front of his chest. His left hand was on top of his right, his left palm inches away from his right. He stood straight and Izumi also noticed that he was not wearing his shirt, revealing his back and the symbol of fire was also visible on it.

In the space between Takuya's palms were where Izumi could see the lights coming from, and when she took a closer look, she saw that there was a small amount of compressed flame burning in them.

Izumi remained quiet as she watched the flames flicker and the lights do their magic. It was only after a while that the flame died out, the lights stopped and Takuya was on his knees, panting, that Takuya made known to Izumi that he knows she was there.

"I didn't expect you to come out here, Izumi." Takuya said with his back still turned and as he replaced his eye-patch back to his right eye.

"You knew I was standing over here the whole time?" Izumi asked as she walked closer. "How did you know that?"

Takuya turned around to meet her and replied whilst pointing in his right eye, "I guess it has something to do with this. Anyway, since I began training I could suddenly feel anyone's presence, especially if they have a Spirit Guardian along with them. That's why I knew you were coming and why I also know that Katsuharu, Teppei and Chiaki have managed to awaken their Spirit Guardians as well."

"If you knew I was here, why didn't you say so in the first place?" Izumi asked.

"I couldn't lose my concentration." Takuya simply replied. "Anyway, what are you doing here, and why did you come alone? What if the enemy attacks or something? You should have at least asked for another person's company."

"Everyone's been working hard in training, I couldn't ask them to come along not if they have such a short time to spare for a little rest and relaxation." Izumi answered. "I'm not as helpless as you think too. I can actually fight better now than before."

"Still I would rather have you NOT fighting." Takuya muttered low enough that Izumi could only hear a glimpse of it.

"Did you say something?"

"Ah, no, nothing at all." Takuya replied. It was then that he noticed the basket Izumi had been carrying. "What's that you're carrying?"

Izumi raised the basket higher to let Takuya have a closer look on it and replied, "Oh, this? I just thought you might be hungry after all your training."

Takuya's stomach began to growl. And at that Izumi added, "Well, I guess I was right."

Takuya smiled sheepishly. "Well, why don't we go and eat then? I found a great spot for that the other day too."

Agreeing to what Takuya had proposed, Izumi then walked with him out of the cave and towards the northern end of the clearing. After going past several lines of trees, and with Takuya leading the way and assisting Izumi as they moved on, the couple finally arrived at the place that Takuya was talking about.

It was another clearing yet, as compared to the rocky clearing where Takuya had been training, this clearing was more lively and beautiful.

When Izumi and Takuya first arrived at the clearing, they saw a Doe and a baby Reindeer drinking water from the small stream in the middle of the clearing and a bunch of other animals grazing about and frolicking in this peaceful landscape. On the east from where they entered from, there was a bed of assorted flowers – all different in color and shape from each other. To the west was a well-trimmed grassy area where Takuya went and asked Izumi to follow him. When they got there, Takuya lied down. The sun was setting by this time.

Izumi was still in awe at the beauty before her when she asked. "How did you find this place?"

Sitting up, Takuya answered. "I accidentally found it when I was training back there and that young deer found its way to my training grounds. When I decided to find out where it had come from and what it was doing back there, I stumbled into this place. I usually come here to relax after I'm done training and the animals seems to think that this is their safe haven as well… and this is also the reason why I decided to train in the caves instead."

Izumi sat down next to Takuya and handed him the basket. "It's funny how different you are from back then. Back then, you weren't even interested in nature."

Takuya grinned as he began to dig in. "Yeah, I remember how you scolded me when we found that injured bird in Harim's forest grounds and I told you to leave it alone since it had nothing to do with us. You were so mad at me then."

Izumi closed her eyes as she remembered.

It was a year before her family left Harim. She and Takuya had always loved walking in the woods. Takuya found it adventurous while she liked being around the woodland creatures. She remembered how she always tried to make Takuya like nature a little bit more, but it didn't seem to work. It seems that no matter how hard she tried, the young auburn-haired boy only cared about having an adventure.

At that time, the forest of Harim was still safe. It would seem that even though it was a forest still, there seemed to be no harmful animals in the area, which is the reason why kids were allowed to venture into it.

At that particular day, the two of them had decided to take a route which was different from the route that they usually take. It was a far longer route from Harim's forest entrance to the middle of the woods where Izumi had loved going, and where Takuya had always accompanied her to. During their walk in this route, Izumi happened to spot a bird's nest in one of the trees. She went near it and when she was at the foot of the tree she saw a baby Mayan bird whose wings have been broken – most likely the bird was trying to fly and instead of flying, it fell on the ground and broke its wings.

Having pity for the said creature, she had asked Takuya to lend her the scarf of his warrior clothing as only males were allowed to wear such. Takuya, back then, had always stuck by the code of Harim, and one of the codes specifically states that a warrior of Harim should be properly dressed as a warrior. And because of his wrong take at what the code meant, declined Izumi of what she had asked for.

"No way." He had said. "Besides, you're just going to use it for that bird. Just leave it alone, it has nothing to do with us anyway"

At those words, Izumi became angry and upset with him. So angry that she ran back to the village by herself and locked herself in her room all day. Takuya, just ignored her then thinking that she would probably get over it soon. However, as the day ended and Izumi had not spoken with him nor allowed him to visit her, Takuya felt horrible.

In the end, he went back to the forest that night to get the wounded bird and ask his parents to help him treat it. When he got there, he saw a stray dog ready to attack the weaker animal. Immediately, Takuya leapt into action and defended the wounded animal. Remembering how to treat animals from Izumi, Takuya gave the bird first aid, ripping his scarf in order to make a cast for it before lifting it into his arms and walking back home.

Izumi had no idea of what Takuya had done, was still mad at him the next day when Takuya's mother came by and talked with her mother. She didn't bother listening in to their conversations thinking that it was only one of those silly grown-up women talk, but after Takuya's mother had left, her mother went up to her room and gave her a small basket. Wondering what the contents of the basket were, she took out the cover to see the wounded bird well bandaged cleaning its good wing with its beak. Her mother noticed the questioning look on her face and explained what Takuya did the night before. After that she made peace with Takuya.

Remembering all that, she remembered that she hadn't asked Takuya why he did it. Takuya was already eating his second serving of bread and soup when Izumi asked, "Takuya, back then you cherished your scarf a lot, right?"

Takuya, having his mouth full with food gave a nod as his answer.

"Why did you give it up then and used it on that bird?" Izumi asked. She wanted to know what was on his mind back then.

Swallowing his food, Takuya gave it a thought as he tried to remember what he was thinking. After a while he gave his answer:

"Well, I guess I figured my relationship with you was more important than my scarf." Takuya replied grinning. "Also, back then, part of me regretted having to rip my scarf, you may not know this but, several weeks after we treated that bird, it came back to our house. I felt that it was thanking me or something, and it felt nice… even if it did come from just an animal."

Takuya's reply was more than what Izumi had expected him to say. The sun was almost gone from the horizon at that time, and darkness was beginning to cover the grounds. When Izumi pointed this out, Takuya nodded and instead of getting up, he just took his eye-patch off, closed his eyes and clapped his hands. When he did, four orbs of fire appeared around them to give them light.

Seeing the surprised look on Izumi's face, Takuya proceeded to explain. "That's just about what I can do with what power I can get back for now. Pretty useless unless it comes to a situation like this, if you ask me."

"But still, you're making improvements, aren't you?" Izumi said.

Takuya shook his head still and said to her Spirit Guardian, "You're Kaizen, right? Can you feel anything strong in these flames?"

Surprised that Takuya could see her, Kaizen could only say: "You can see me?"

"Something like that." Takuya replied. "It's more like Flayhm's eyes can see you. As long as I have the eye-patch on I could only feel you around, but when I take it off, I can clearly see you."

"That's amazing." Izumi said.

Kaizen nodded. "Anyway, as for your question, I could only feel a small amount of power from it."

Takuya nodded. "I could only feel the same thing as well. And in three days that's all I can come up with. I had managed to do it the night of my first training here, but so far, I have made zero improvements with it."

"That's great still!" Izumi said. "Wait until everyone hears that you have some of your powers back."

Takuya immediately looked at her and said. "Don't! Don't tell anyone of this."

"Huh? Why not?" Kaizen voiced out Izumi's question.

"If they found out about this, they will expect me to do something miraculous and get all of my powers back before we go save your father." Takuya explained. "I don't want that. I don't want anybody expecting too much and then feeling disappointed when I couldn't reach their expectations. So please, keep this a secret along with my new eye."

Izumi, although unsure, could only nod. In her mind she thought that it may be a trauma caused by his father. It was then that she remembered partly the reason why she wanted to see Takuya.

"Takuya, that power where you changed into an armored warrior, that's your Level 3, right?" Izumi asked.

Takuya nodded albeit surprised as well as why Izumi would bring that up.

"Can you teach me how to call that power at will?" Izumi asked. "I've managed to unlock it before, but I couldn't call on it again when I wanted to."

"So, that was what that powerful surge of power was the other earlier today?" Takuya asked. "I thought it was something else since it felt so different from the feeling I usually get when I sense your power."

"That's because Tomoki had also unlocked it as well, but he's also having the same problem as Izumi." Kaizen said before flying off to one of the animals and playing with it.

"Tomoki too?" Takuya said. "Well, that explains it."

"So, can you help me?" Izumi asked.

Takuya thought for a while. He tried to remember what it was that Flayhm told him when they were rushing towards everyone's aid back then. Then he remembered Flayhm's warning.

"Tell me, did Kaizen warn you of the dangers of using Level 3?" Takuya asked.

"Dangers?" Izumi asked, then she remembered. "Something to do with damaging my spiritual powers, sever my link with Kaizen or possibly wound me?"

Takuya nodded telling her that was the warning he was talking about. Then he said, "If you have already transformed before, that means you have felt pain at the transformation as well. Am I right?"

Izumi nodded. "It felt like I was drowning… I was quickly losing breath and I can't find any air to breathe. I thought I was going to die that I was so scared. But just when I thought I was going to die, I suddenly transformed. But I reverted back as quickly as I changed."

Takuya nodded once again. "It may feel different from one Chosen One to another, but I think the basics are the same. When I was trying to access it, I felt that I was being burned in a stake or something. It isn't a very pleasant experience. Kaizen called that feeling the "First Ignition"."

"First Ignition?" Izumi repeated.

"Yes. First Ignition. It's like having a door with a lot of locks in them. The First Ignition is the process in which the first lock is released. You were lucky that nothing bad happened to you when you lost concentration. Flayhm once told me that if we tried that and lose concentration in the middle of it – letting the feeling of pain, fear and worry over us, we might end up dead. Either that or torn between our transformation."

Those words added more worry to Izumi. Takuya saw this and immediately added, "Of course, I'm going to make sure that nothing bad happens to you."

"Thank you." Was all Izumi could say.

"Anyways, just because you underwent the First Ignition doesn't mean that you won't be going through that again. Unless you have released the final lock, or what Flayhm called the "Final Ignition", you would have to keep going through all the phases over and over again."

"It's like instead of helping me feel more comfortable of doing it, you're scaring me instead." Izumi said as she crossed her arms.

Takuya scratched the back of his head. "Don't say that, I am trying to help you. Anyways, we'll make it so that the next time you try, you would completely unlock all the locks of your Level 3. And we'll make it in time too."

Izumi nodded. She was still scared but she reminded herself over and over again that Takuya would not say those things if he wasn't sure of what he was saying.

Just then, Kaizen came flying back. It was already dark and the stars have already appeared in the night sky.

"Izumi, aren't we going back yet? The others might worry if we don't make it back by dinner." Kaizen said.

"I think you should go back now, Izumi." Takuya said. "I'll walk you back."

"How about you?" She asked.

"I'll come back to the cave once I get you back." He replied as he replaced his eye-patch back on. "My power is still unstable, I wouldn't want to leave it uncheck. Even as I am here with you right now, I'm making sure to control those orbs."

Silence.

In the end, Izumi ended up being escorted by Takuya back to the mansion. It would appear that the two took their time as they made their way back. Somehow, it both reminded them of their time at Harim's Woods. Along the way, the two went on talking with each other. It was the first time that they talked without so much as getting into an argument. It would appear that both have forgotten the events of the passed – Izumi had forgiven him for not telling her he was alive and Takuya had already forgiven himself for not being able to tell her that he was alive.

When they finally got back to the entrance of the Forest, Takuya stood behind.

"Well, here we are." He said. "You better go inside now. I wouldn't want to get everyone worried of you and make then angry of me."

Izumi nodded. "You wouldn't mind if I come back tomorrow, would you? Maybe then you can help me with my Level 3."

Takuya replied, "I'll be waiting then." And Izumi went on her way to the backdoor of the mansion. When she was already ready to get inside, Takuya added, "Izumi, thanks for coming and bringing me food."

Izumi turned around and smiled. "Its nothing. Please don't do anything reckless on your training, okay?"

"Right." Takuya said. "Good Night, Izumi. And Kaizen a 'Good Night' to you as well. I can't see you now but I can feel that you haven't been called back by Izumi yet."

Izumi laughed and together with Kaizen, the two of them said "Good night." to Takuya before they both entered the mansion.

Takuya remained standing in his position for a while, contemplating on how he must hurry with his training before he went back to the cave and continue on with his agenda.

**

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**To be continued…**

**A/N:**

Well, after 11 pages of that, this chapter is finally done! Woot! Crisis Core here I come! Ahem

What do you guys think, I hope it adds a bit more background story between Takuya and Izumi. Anyway, one more training chapter and we'll move on with the rest of the story. I just couldn't bring myself to skip this chapter's contents since well, I figured an explanation of how their level 3 works is in order rather than just having them obtain it like Takuya did since that would be too redundant for my taste.

Anyways, I won't be adding too much drabble here since I'd be working on my 'Healing Touch' fanfic next. For those who haven't noticed, I made a new fanfic, this time an AU First Person POV of Kouichi and Kouji. Yep, I just advertised another one of my fanfic once again, lol.

Well, that's it for now. This is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and reminding everyone to please review! I'll be expecting your views on how the story is progressing, okay?

BTW, on another topic, like American Idol: It's sad how Kristy Lee Cook is no longer in the competition. Too bad, I find her improving as well. Anyways, when the bottom three were announced, I was betting for Sayesha Mercado (sorry if I have her name spelt wrong, don't know how else to spell it) to be taken out since I don't really like her. I can't feel anything from her performances unlike when David Archuleta, David Cook, and Brook White perform.

**-- end post Author's Notes**


	34. Think of Me

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

**A/N:**

lol, I could not help but laugh when I read FireFairy219's review on the previous chapter as well as the reviews from Sightbent, cancercute, and of course, TwinkieTUTUS. And for making me simply smile when I am very, very tired from all the projects I've been given (I already posted this on THT fanfic about me being hired to co-write a game's story and making the sprites as well as the website for it), I am grateful. The same goes to all those of you who simply have no time to post a review but are liking the story nonetheless.

Because of the rejuvenation I got from reading the reviews and seeing the number of hits on this story, I had an urge to take a break from all those work and go on ahead with this new chapter. Like I've said this chapter will be the last chapter before the actual story goes on… you can think of this as the part two of the First Ignition chapter if you will.

Well, you guys are probably tired from reading this Author's note section, so I'll let you read the chapter now. Hope you enjoy!

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**

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Think of Me**

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Izumi left the mansion for Takuya's training grounds early in the morning. When she was held up and asked, she simply said that she wanted to try training on her own. Although she said that, everyone who heard and knew her, knew better. They knew that she was going to Takuya, no one minded though, except for Junpei who continued to reason out to her that asking his help would be pointless and the Leader of the Organization who told her that it would be unwise to seek help in controlling her Level 3 to someone who can no longer utilize the said power. Izumi just shrugged them all of. She had decided and once she had done so, it would be virtually impossible for her to change her mind.

Kaizen spoke with her along the way, "You should at least listen to what they have to say, Izumi."

"What for?" Was Izumi's answer, "Junpei would just go on and on about how we are not certain if Takuya is on our side or working for the enemy or if he isn't a clone like the other one and I hate that woman who calls herself as the leader, so why should I waste my time listening to her?"

Kaizen sighed. This certainly was the reason why Izumi almost always ends up in trouble – her being unable to listen to anything she doesn't want to hear… of course, there were times when she does listen, but only when the person who is speaking is either close to her heart or has authority over her, which would be her father and on occasions, the Vice Commander, Kouji.

Izumi wondered, as she walked, if Takuya was already awake or if he even slept at all. If it was the latter, he obviously was pushing himself to his limit and she could not help but worry at the dangers it might bring to him.

It was much easier to find her way to his training grounds in broad daylight as opposed to how she managed to do so the day before. It was because of that, coupled with the anxiousness of wanting to get on with her training, that made her arrive at the training grounds earlier than she would have anticipated.

"Takuya, I'm here!" she shouted as she entered the cave, but much to her surprise, Takuya was not inside it. Confused as to why the auburn haired youth was not in his usual place, Izumi went back out of the cave and with the help of her control over wind, elevated herself to get a bird's eye view of the area as she searched for him.

"Where could he be?" She thought to herself.

She tried to spot any weird flashing of light, any weird energy vibes, or anything that's just plain out of the ordinary, but she could not find such. It was then that she began to worry even more and several what-if scenarios entered her now-imaginative mind.

_What if the clone came and kidnapped him?_

_What if he collapsed out of exhaustion?_

_What if something much more terrible than the two happened to him?_

Despite how many times she may have rejected the accusations of her worrying about him in front of the many who pointed it out while they are in the watch of the Organization, when it was only by herself or with him, she lets go and let worry creep over her. Part of her says not to worry for he was still strong enough to defend himself even with the lack of his powers as a Chosen One, but the other part had doubts of how well he could protect himself.

"Snap out of it, Izumi." Kaizen whispered in her mind. "You shouldn't worry, Takuya is safe, after all, I can feel that something is protecting this place from the outside, and the protection is much stronger than that from the city."

"Do you know who could be protecting it then?" Izumi asked whilst still floating in the air.

Kaizen shook her head. "The feeling is different from what I can feel from powers emanating from Chosen Ones such as yourself, but at the same time, it seems like its similar."

Silence filled the air soon after that as Izumi continued to let the wind carry her off to where she wanted to go. It took a while for her to circle around the training grounds in hopes of finding him, but alas, she did not. She was about to give up looking for him all together, when her eyes lingered on the entrance to the place that Takuya had shown her the night before. It was then that she remembered what he said.

She remembered him telling her that he goes to the place of solitude where the animals gather when he was in need of a rest or wants to feel relaxed. Although she could not think of any reason why he would be resting so early in the morning and what he could possibly be doing there, Izumi decided to check up on that place.

When she got there, she was as surprised as she was glad to find Takuya sitting under the shade of a large tree in the middle of the clearing. His eyes were shut and his breathing was steady, which erased all doubts of something bad happening to him out of Izumi's mind. Walking closer to where he sat, Izumi found that he was sleeping.

She sighed. "I should really stop worrying too much and keep my imagination in check." She thought to herself, a thought that Kaizen agreed on enthusiastically.

Izumi crouched down beside Takuya.

"He really does look peaceful as he sleeps." She thought while blocking Kaizen off in her mind.

She didn't want anyone, not even her Spirit Guardian, to know something deeper than what was blatant. "When I look at him like this, it's hard to imagine what all of us are going through… what he must be going through…"

She smiled and as if her body had a mind of its own, her hand went to brush the messy hair from his forehead making his face even more visible to her. She felt, as she did so, sweat and she could only conclude that he had just began to rest several minutes ago… probably just before she came to the training grounds.

"I told him not too push himself too hard." She said this out loud before she could even stop herself from doing so.

"Well, Izumi, you can't blame him for that." Kaizen said. "He's doing all this because of you… or should I say for you and your father. He doesn't want anything bad to happen to your father, and doesn't want himself to be in the way of the rescue… that's what I think at least, based on what I can deduce from his actions."

Izumi sighed once again. She knew this to be true, so then, would it be because of her when he suddenly collapses from exhaustion? No, she doesn't want that – Takuya collapsing or being the reason for it.

Her eyes trailed off to the piece of cloth with the emblem of Harim wrapped around his right arm. It was the same piece of clothing that he showed them when he said that he would begin training – a clothing said to help the user "force out" any hidden powers he or she might have within them. It was a useful item, but its usefulness comes with a price. As her eyes settled on the said on the piece of cloth, she noticed something in the arm and hand that covered it.

Without thinking twice, and as worry once again build up with her, Izumi went to remove the armband. What greeted her were the burnt marks on his hand and arm. It seemed like these bruises had been made a while back but Takuya just ignored it or any thoughts of first aid to it. Izumi wondered if it was because of him forcing himself from re-awakening his power. She tried not to look away, and was about to use some of her power to heal them when Takuya suddenly woke up.

It was as if he was not too sure of where he was, especially when he saw Izumi who was surprised of him suddenly reawakening that their faces were inches apart. If a powerful gust of wind should blow at this moment, it would easily push them and their lips together.

Takuya's eye stared blankly, obviously still sleepy at her now blushing face. She wanted to move away but she couldn't. It was as if realization came to the auburn haired one seconds later when his eye suddenly went from oblivious to surprise and pulled his head back away from her and turned his head to the right as Izumi did the same turning her head to the left. Both of them blushed and an awkward silence fell into the shade under the tree making the chirping of the birds and the sound of rushing water the only sounds to take notice of .

After drowning in silence for a couple of minutes, and with Kaizen constantly rolling her eyes at the scene, Takuya finally spoke:

"Err… I didn't think you'd be here so early." Takuya said, his head still turned. "Sorry about that."

"I should be the one apologizing." Izumi answered back. "I just thought we should start as early as we could. I didn't know that you were still sleeping… or had only just rested, if that were the case…"

"Don't think of it. I just dozed off, I have rested quite enough." Takuya replied. "Besides, I don't think I want to go back to sleep any time soon…"

Izumi turned towards him with a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

Takuya inhaled deeply and exhaled several seconds after that before proceeding on narrating to her of his dream.

"I dreamt of Flayhm." Was his answer.

"Oh…"

"We talked about a lot of things, and he told me I was really holding up well on my own and that he was proud of me." He went on, his face showed a hint of sadness mixed with happiness. "It was a really good dream, but suddenly, a shadow came over him and he kept saying 'Sorry'…. I tried to reach for him, but I couldn't. I don't know why but in my dream, I felt pain shot up to the eye Flayhm gave me, and even now I feel that pain. It all felt so real… and so frightening."

Izumi didn't know what to say. For them, who are Chosen Ones, the line between dreams and reality was blurred. She knew it when she learned about Takuya's identity, and he knew it as he contacted her in the dream before. Who's to say that what really happened in his dream was not a dream at all but a message from a lost Guardian?

"Takuya, I…" Izumi was about to say, but then suddenly remembered something. "I just saw those bruises in your right arm and hand. Why didn't you come back to the mansion to get those checked out?"

Takuya cringed as he noticed that the armband was off of his right arm and saw Izumi holding it.

"It's no big deal, Izumi." Takuya said as he tried to get the armband back but Izumi just kept on taking it away from him. "If they put some ointment on it, it would do no good. My arm would still be burnt and have those bruises as long as I haven't mastered my power again…"

"It is a big deal!" Izumi said. "What if it got infected? What if you end up losing your arm all together? You should really think about your well-being, Sir Takuya."

Izumi was once again using that tone on him – commanding and demanding.

"Didn't you come here to train, Lady Izumi." _Two could play at that game_, he thought as he said those words. "We shouldn't be wasting time with this idle talk."

Takuya then stood up, and dusted the dirt from his clothes before walking away.

"He really is such a careless idiot." Izumi muttered before following him. Even though he obviously didn't want her to be bothered by it, she would still find a way to heal those wounds – with or without his consent.

They were already standing on the clearing, facing several meters away from each other.

"Concentrate, Izumi." Takuya instructed. "Cast away your cares. Put your heart into it, and the Spirits would know."

It was easier said than done – in Izumi's opinion, but she followed his instructions nonetheless. She closed her eyes to concentrate, as she did so many times before. Takuya watched as she stood, posed up for the challenge, then he took off his eye patch.

He looked over at Kaizen, who was now visible thanks to the eye and nodded. Kaizen took this as the signal for her to release the first lock. A powerful wind blew that sent small rocks flying towards Takuya's direction. Takuya managed to dodge them and he was thankful that Izumi still had her eyes closed or else she would lose concentration once she sees what she is doing to the surroundings.

The wind that was blowing from Izumi's direction suddenly became a large tornado, with Izumi in the middle.

"This is where the hard part begins." Takuya thought to himself.

Izumi had told him of what she had felt when she first managed to accomplish doing it, but lost her concentration because she felt that she was going to die. If she isn't careful and if Takuya would so much as make a mistake, she will probably die.

Takuya saw Izumi's brow furrowed and her knees shaking, it was obvious that she was losing breath. But Takuya felt that she could still hold on and saw that her energy and Kaizen's were now in sync, so he said: "Kaizen, release the Second Ignition!"

Kaizen, albeit reluctant, did so. It was then that Takuya saw the change in the spirit levels of Kaizen that he ordered her to stop making Izumi fall to her knees, panting and trying to catch breath.

Takuya walked towards her. "Are you alright?"

Izumi nodded.

Then he faced Kaizen, "Your energies were already in synced, why did you hesitate?"

"She was already in pain, I can't leave her like that." Kaizen replied.

"She will keep on feeling that pain if you keep on feeling reluctant about this. You know it, Kaizen, you can feel it, she's ready… she wants this. Trust her to get through with it just as much as she trusts you to help her accomplish what she's trying to accomplish. Don't hold her back." Takuya said. "We'll do this again, after you have rested Izumi."

Izumi nodded and although still breathless added a "Thank you."

Half an hour passed before they continued on, with the same results. This kept on going until it was already time for lunch.

"This really isn't working well." Takuya said as he escorted her back to the mansion, and with her request that he comes along and eat with them, he too would have to take a break.

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm not that good at learning this after all." Izumi apologized.

"Don't be." Takuya said. "You're doing pretty good, and so is Kaizen, I just don't think you have the drive enough to go through with it."

"Drive?" Kaizen asked. "Isn't her conviction to save her father enough?"

"Apparently it's not." Takuya answered. "I think it would need something more than that to trigger the Final Ignition for you, Izumi…"

Before Izumi could ask what he meant by that, Takuya had taken out his eye patch and placed it back on Flayhm's eye… They were now in front of the mansion's back door.

* * *

Everyone was surprised to see Takuya eating with them after a long time. Kouji asked him of how his training was going while Tomoki went to tell him about his own accomplishments. Junpei kept on asking Izumi why she left so early in the morning without so much as a company to go along with her while Teppei was trying to shut him up and stop him from disturbing everyone else's meal. Chiaki and Katsuharu on the other hand were discussing something seemingly important to be bothered by the on-goings in the table.

After everyone was done, Izumi went to her room to change while Takuya went to talk with Katsuharu.

"It's rare to see you wanting to talk to me of your own accord." Katsuharu said when Takuya asked for him. "Usually, you're pretty grumpy around the three of us. I guess it has something to do with her being around you again."

Takuya's face was serious as he spoke. "I need your help on something. I know you're the only one who can do it."

Surprised that Takuya is asking favors from him but not wanting to sound too rude in declining too soon without so much as hearing it or deciding on it, Katsuharu went to listen to his request.

* * *

Takuya and Izumi once again stood as they did before at the clearing.

"Are you ready, Izumi?" Takuya asked as he walked towards her.

Izumi nodded. "I am."

Without taking his eye patch off, Takuya asked Kaizen, "How about you, Kaizen?"

"Same here."

"Alright," Takuya said, he was now right in front of Izumi. "I have to apologize for this, Izumi… but I can think no other way…"

She was about to ask what he meant by that when a sudden force knocked her unconscious.

* * *

She groaned as she regained her consciousness. Izumi was surprised to find herself lying on a dark place, she blinked and rubbed her eyes thinking that she might be dreaming.

"Izumi, are you alright?" Kaizen asked, worried.

"I think so." Was her reply before proceeding to ask, "What happened? Where are we? Where's Takuya?"

"I don't know."

Just then they heard a familiar voice scream. Izumi immediately stood up, poised and ready for anything that may appear in the dark.

"What was that?" Kaizen asked.

"It sounded like… Takuya!" Izumi said as she sprinted towards where the sound came from.

Her heart began to beat faster, she could almost hear the pounding it was doing in her chest. Fear and anxiety was now evident in her features. This time, she could not be imagining it. Something must have happened while they were training.

As she was running, she fell as she tripped on something. Looking back to see what it was that tripped her, she was surprise and could almost faint as she saw Takuya badly injured and bleeding, a sword wound on his chest.

"Takuya!" Izumi shouted as she scrambled on her feet. "Takuya, what happened?"

Takuya coughed. "Sorry, I… couldn't do… anything…"

"What are you talking about?" Izumi asked, tears now building up in her eyes as she proceeded to use her power to close his wound. "What… happened?"

Mustering up all the strength left, Takuya pointed towards the direction that he was facing before falling unconscious. Izumi followed his gaze, and there she saw _him_ standing, a bloody sword in hand.

"You!" Izumi said almost growling as she stood up, but not before she made sure that Takuya was still breathing.

"My, my… I really had hoped your greeting would be somewhat gentler than that." Takuya's Clone said, he was smirking as he walked forward. "He was being a nuisance to both me and _our_ father. I just had to take the trash out."

Izumi clenched her fist and without warning, threw a wind attack at the clone. It was easily dodged, however.

"Now, now… no need to get rough." He said. "Besides, wind doesn't hurt fire as much as water would, right? I'd say it's pointless to even TRY and beat me."

"We'll see about that!" Izumi said, as she tried once again, this time conjuring a much more powerful attack than before.

The same time that Izumi let her attack fly did the Clone threw a fireball attack at her. The wind attack she made, however powerful it may be, was eaten by fire and the attack that the clone threw only grew in power before hitting her and sending her flying back.

"I told you." Clone Takuya said. "You should really learn to listen, my Izumi."

"Don't you dare call me that!" Izumi said as she stood up once again although she was badly bruised.

"Why not? I'm virtually the same as that Takuya." He said pointing at the direction of the unconscious Kanbara.

"You are not Takuya! You will never be Takuya!" Izumi shouted as let out a barrage of wind-based attacks.

The Clone simply laughed it all off as he parried and dodged the attacks while throwing his own in the process.

"Surely you can do better than that if you intend to defeat me." Clone Takuya jeered. "Or is that simply what you so-called Chosen Ones can do?"

Izumi tried her best not to tumble down, despite the fact that she had been wasting a lot of her energy because of those attacks. She could not help but curse herself – her weakness and her inability to defend anything. She knew that she had stopped Takuya's bleeding, but she didn't know to what extent his injuries were. She knew that she could not be defeated here… not when there was so much in the line.

She was so deep in thought and in what she should do, that she did not notice that the Clone was already right in front of her until it was too late.

He caressed her face with his bloody hand, and his cold, brown eyes stared at her cerulean ones. He looked proud of what he had accomplished, and the memory of their meeting at the ship was revived in Izumi's mind. She cringed at the though, she would not let it happen again.

"What's wrong?" the clone asked with a smirk as he saw Izumi's expression. "You don't like it when I touch you?"

Izumi didn't answer.

"Then maybe another kiss would make you change your mind and choose me over him." He went on.

Just as he was about to kiss her, the wounded Takuya dashed forward. "I won't let you!" He shouted, sword in hand as he lounges at the enemy.

But, the clone, as it had demonstrated before, was just too fast for the real Takuya, and in a flash, the clone had skewered the real Takuya.

"NO!" Shouted Izumi who was trembling.

"You should have learned by now," the Clone said. "You can NEVER beat me."

And with that the real Takuya fell. Izumi could still see the rise and fall of his chest, but it was becoming forced as blood began to gush out of the new wound. But even as he was severely wounded, Takuya did not seem to want to give up. Hoisting himself with as much energy as he could muster, he rose up once again with his sword being used as a means to get up.

"You still want more?" Clone Takuya asked, amused. "Very well then, if you do not wish to die so easily, then I'll kill you little-by-little."

Even before Izumi or Takuya could react, the Clone had proceeded with beating up Takuya. It did not seem to want to let up with the attacks, throwing combo upon combo of both melee and spiritual attacks at the other Takuya.

"Please, stop it, Takuya!" Izumi pleaded as she saw Takuya being beaten up and the Clone laughing maniacally.

Izumi shut her eyes, not wanting to look at it any more. She felt helpless. Even when it was her who wanted to save him, it would always end up with him saving her. Was that how she was just going to be? Always the Damsel in Distress?

She wanted to do something to help. No, she needed to do something! A thought came to her mind. It was a long shot, but she was willing to take any risk as long as it would save the man she cared for.

"Kaizen, would you lend me your power?" She asked her guardian mentally.

"What are you--?" Kaizen was about to ask when Izumi suddenly closed her eyes and went into the same pose as she did when she was training with Takuya. At that instant, Kaizen knew what she was about to do.

The Spirit Guardian was about to go against the idea but she suddenly remembered what Takuya had said to her:

_"Trust her to get through with it just as much as she trusts you to help her accomplish what she's trying to accomplish. Don't hold her back."_

Kaizen nodded to herself. "Yes, I will trust her."

And with that, she too began concentrating. A powerful gust of wind broke the Clone's "fun" with Takuya, who was at the verge of losing consciousness.

"What's this?" The Clone asked with a mixture of surprise and amusement.

A tornado appeared around Izumi, signaling that she had unlocked the Second Ignition. The beaten Takuya, smiled. She was doing it. The ground began to shake and small stones scattered on the ground began rising up being carried by the strong force of a wind.

The Clone looked surprised now, and even muttered a few curses as he struck the ground with his sword and held on for dear life hoping not to be blown away by the torrent.

Green light surrounded Izumi, whose eyes were still closed as tears were gushing forth from them either in sadness or in pain. The wind grew stronger and stronger creating a violent shrill sound in the vicinity. The tornado began to envelop Izumi's body completely.

With a powerful shout and a roar of the wind, Izumi cried: "Level 3! Activated!"

And as soon as those words escaped her mouth, the tornado surrounding her vanished. The Izumi from before was not who stood in the middle of the debris, but rather a lavender-haired woman, dressed in silvery armor. Her eyes were hidden behind a visor-like helmet leaving only her nose and her mouth visible. She was also floating in mid-air.

The Clone was surprised, and the Female Warrior could have sworn to see a hint of fear in those evil-looking eyes.

"You will pay a thousand folds with what you've done!" the warrior spoke.

"Bring it!" Cried the Clone who poised himself ready for battle. "This should be interesting."

And thus, the battle began between the Level 3 Izumi and the Takuya Clone. It would seem that thanks to the help of her powers from the wind, Izumi could match up with the clone's speed. She could see his attacks and dodge them before it hit her. Izumi grew more and more confident and she found using her Level 3 easier than she would have thought.

The battle went on and on, neither one would let up until finally, Izumi sliced the earth with a powerful gust of wind that was directed at the clone and the attack hit. In an instant, everything went hazy, and as if she was awakened from a dream, she found herself standing at Takuya's training grounds with Takuya beaming at her and clapping his hands, a proud look etched on his face.

"What--?" Izumi asked as she reverted back to her original form.

"You were amazing, Izumi." Takuya said smiling, there was neither scratch nor bruise in him, save for the burnt arm that she had noticed before, which made Izumi even more confused. "You really held your own."

"What's going on, you were badly wounded and bleeding and your clone was here and…" Izumi said all this in one breath, frantically swinging her arms around.

"I did apologize to you before hand." Takuya told her, as he began to explain. "Everything you saw was just an illusion to get you to unlock all the seals and attain your Level 3 power. I asked help from Katsuharu, who gave me instructions on what I should do along with this."

At that point, Takuya showed her a small bottle. Izumi gave him a questioning look.

"I'm sure you've heard, Katsuharu has the power to show illusions. It's done in many ways and one way was to let the person he wanted to have illusions to inhale the contents of this bottle. I tried my best not to make it seem like I was about to do something, and when I couldn't let your guard down to inhale this stuff, it left me with no choice but to knock you unconscious and let you breathe in this stuff afterwards." Takuya had an apologetic look on his face as he told Izumi this.

"Why did you go and do that!" Kaizen spoke, and although Takuya could not see her then, he could feel she was right in front of him. "She was so worried and scared for you back there!"

"If we were to do it under normal circumstances, I thought that she would have a hard time unlocking all the ignitions. So, I came up with the solution to let her undergo something similar to what I went through… having to see someone in great danger often unlocks the power in everyone, no matter how hidden it might be." Takuya explained, though he came up with it he wasn't proud of his idea. "I'm sorry about that."

Izumi felt that she should be furious for him having done that to her. "You have no idea how scared I was…" was all she could say however. "Why did you make it happen like that? With you being beaten… that wouldn't happen."

Takuya smiled sadly. "I think we'll just lie to ourselves if I agree with you, but the truth is, if I were to face him as I am now, that would most likely happen. Without Flayhm or the power I had, all I can really rely on is my swordsmanship, and we all know how that turned out back in the ship. That's why, I have to train harder and push myself farther than I have done so in the past. Not just for my pride but for the sake of those that I care about."

Silence was all Izumi and Kaizen could answer. They didn't know what to say. But Takuya seemed not to mind.

"Well then, now that you've unlocked your Level 3… all you need to do now is call on it without relying on having to witness something like the illusion you just lived through, Izumi." Takuya said.

Izumi looked at him with utmost seriousness showing that she was really listening, then asked. "What should I do then?"

Takuya walked towards her, then lowered his head so that they were looking eye to eye and said: "Just think of me." before walking away to do his own training.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**A/N:**

Ta-na-na-na-na (Okay, Imagine that was like some kind of victory sound effect, lol).

Well, this fourteen paged chapter really took a lot out of me, but I've enjoyed writing it and hopefully, it doesn't seem messy to you guys and you enjoyed it too. And hopefully, you all got why the chapter was titled as it was… lol. I was going to add a lot more romance to it, but decided to save that for later… (ducks behind a counter) I know people would really love to see those stuff, but be patient, ne?

Well, first off, I forgot to mention this in the post authors notes, but I am too lazy to go back up and edit it so I'll write it here instead.

First off, I have to give cancercute a reply since I don't know if I've added her to my friends list, but, I have to thank you for the comment you gave in my profile. I would write back to your profile when I get the time, and hopefully add you as a friend (if I haven't yet).

Next, to FireFairy219, once again, thank you for that funny review. I enjoyed reading it. I have to admit that it would seem like I've been forgetting about CoT:CW, but that's not the case, I simply have found no time to squeeze between what I have been doing and updating the fanfics so I'm trying to do update them one by one. Luckily, THT (The Healing Touch) fanfic that I am working on is almost finished, so it would give me ample time to update CW, which is almost finished as well.

Third, to Sightbent, I'm glad you are "liking the story more and more" as you put it. It was actually supposed to be done (the picnic thing) earlier in the story but decided to redo the whole thing and thus, ended up where it did. Hopefully, this chapter gives you an insight on how strong Izumi has become, and even some of the characters as well.

Fourth, to TwinkyTUTUS. Yes, 33 chapters is simply amazing even for me, especially with all the things going on over at my end. It would take a lot more chapters, however, for this story to be finished. Hopefully, you guys would read it through to the end.

Well, I've written quite enough. I would probably be updating this fanfic once I've updated CoT:CW. In the meantime, you guys can read THT if you haven't yet. Anyways, that's all for now. Until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out!

BTW, I am totally sad at Brooke White leaving Idol… all I can do now is support David Cook! Yeah! Woot Okay… to much sugar again… lol

Also, a reminder to everyone: **CONSERVE ENERGY. GLOBAL WARMING IS REALLY A FRIGHTENING THING. WE CAN STILL SAVE THE PLANET IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER. EVERY LITTLE THING COUNTS.**


	35. Endure and Resist

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

**Author's Notes:**

First off, thank you to **Sightbent, TwinkieTUTUS, ToraHimeSama, and FireFairy219** for their reviews. Greatly appreciate that.

Anyways, I just finished THT fanfic, so I had time to update this fanfic. The next update would probably come after CoT:CW is updated, so until then, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I made it quite long to satisfy everyone's hunger… lol

Enjoy!

BTW, for some strange reason, whenever I upload a document and edit it on FFN, I always get these box symbol thingies (). Of course, I try to erase them, but there may be instances where I was unable to delete some of them. Sorry about that. I have no idea why those box thingies are appearing... and I am as annoyed as you guys when you come across them.

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Endure and Resist!**

* * *

His long, black hair rode with the wind as he lay hidden behind large boulders on top of a cliff overseeing the vast expanse of the ravine below. His silver, plated armor hidden underneath a Coffee-colored cloak which also danced whenever the wind blew. His eyes looked over a pair of binoculars, scanning the surroundings, counting the number of dark-armored men patrolling the area below.

This had been the job given to him, Kouji Minamoto.

He, along with a couple of other members of the Organization and with Katsuharu and Teppei as well, had been given the mission to scout the area before the others arrived, and to find a safe place for them to make camp. It had been almost five days since he received that mission, a mission that no one bothered to go against...except for one person.

_"Kouji," Katsuharu had called him. "We're being summoned by the Leader."_

_He had been training at that time, but nodded nonetheless and followed the older man to the place where the briefing was to be held. When he got there, he was surprised that he was the only one left that they were waiting for._

_"Good, you're all here." The Leader spoke as Kouji made himself comfortable. "First, I would have to congratulate all of you for managing to unlock your Level 3s. I must admit, I wasn't too sure if you all would be able to do it."_

_Takuya grunted. He was the only one who the Leader was obviously NOT referring too. Kouji felt sympathy for the young ex-apprentice. Izumi looked over towards the young Kanbara, as if to tell him not to make any side comments. Kouji was glad that she did so, otherwise, the meeting would probably have ended up the way they always do whenever Takuya would open his mouth against the Organization._

_The leader seemed to have appreciated the intervention as well, as she went on: "With all seven of you capable of using that power, it is safe to assume that we now have a stand against Takuya's Clone. However, we can not go rushing about to the Lone Island. It would be suicide, not courage, if we do so."_

_Everyone nodded at this, even Takuya. Seeing that they all agreed, she went on, "That is why, we're going to send you off into two teams, each with ample number of people. One team would scope __the enemies location and find good attacking points, basically, the first team would deal with taking information and scouting the enemy base. When we have gathered enough information, the second team would be sent out to infiltrate their base and rescue Commander Orimoto, General Kimura and your friend, Kouichi Kimura."_

_"How do we go about this team, then?" He, Kouji had asked._

_"We've already arrange for the teams based on your current strengths and weaknesses as well as the ability you all possess. Teppei, Katsuharu, and Kouji – you three would be on the first team. Izumi, Tomoki, Junpei, and Chiaki would be on the second." She replied._

_The mention of everyone's name except for his, made Takuya rise up from his seat and demand an explanation. "What's with that? How about me?"_

_"Takuya, you are in no position to fight." Katsuharu was the one who replied. "You haven't managed to get back your powers, and you'll only be slowing either team down. So, just sit this one out."_

_Kouji saw Takuya clench his fist. "There's no way I'm sitting this one out! I want to get back what that 'thing' stole from me!"_

_"How do you think you'd be able to accomplish that?" The Leader questioned. "It is evident that you do not have any powers of a Chosen One left. I do not need to ask them to call out their Guardians to give proof and testament to that."_

_Kouji saw that Izumi was about to say something, but Takuya put a hand in front of her to stop her. He could not help but wonder if those two were hiding something._

_"With or without my powers I can still fight." Takuya remained stubborn. "I was not raised up to only rely on that power, I was trained to be a warrior and trained to fight with a blade at that. I can protect myself as much as these guys can."_

_"We know how you feel, Takuya." Chiaki spoke. "But we could not risk you getting killed or captured by your father again. Even without Flayhme or your power, you are still a Chosen One. And it is the duty of the Organization that none of us fall to their hands."_

_"But I won't be captured or killed, or any of that stuff."_

_"That's enough, Takuya!" the leader bellowed, obviously not liking the fact that Takuya was once again creating havoc in the meeting. "It is final. You are staying behind. If you find that not to your liking and if you continue to go against that, I would have to have you locked up and make sure you don't go anywhere."_

_Takuya gritted his teeth. Kouji could see that his nails were already dug deep in his clenched fists. He expected him to go ballistic, but instead, he gave a sigh of resignation and sat down._

_After that, Takuya lost interest in the meeting and did not bother to listen to whatever was being discussed. Kouji could not blame him though. He had overheard him promise Lady Izumi that he would rescue her father by his own hands, and now it seems he would not be able to keep that promise._

_The meeting went on and all of them were briefed on what to do and what to expect. After all of those were said, the Leader told the first team to prepare for they would be leaving tomorrow – a surprising announcement for Kouji._

He sighed as he remembered it, so far, no word has come of when the second team would arrive. They have already scouted the area a hundred times and have made an estimate on the number of Dark Knights scattered around the area – some of these knights have already been dealt with as well, and they have sent a report back to the Organization. The Organization, of course, said that the second team would be on their way in 72 hours. But, that 72 hours have long passed.

"Are you worried?" Katsuharu suddenly asked, it was time to change shifts.

"Worried?" He asked back.

"The second team hasn't arrived yet, they should have been here hours ago." Katsuharu elaborated. "I would say that it maybe because of Takuya's efforts to go with them, but that could only be my wishful thinking."

"It would be alright if that's the case." Kouji said as he gave Katsuharu the binoculars.

Silence filled the air as only the muffled voices of their comrades could be heard. Despite his shift ending, Kouji, knowing he had nothing else to do, decided to stick around. Other than the fact that enemies were in the area below and that Commander Orimoto could very well be in peril, Kouji found the place relaxing. He made a mental note to come back to this place when everything was over – provided that he survives all that is to come.

"It's troubling." Katsuharu suddenly said while Kouji was in the middle of his musings. "You would have thought that they had more guards than this, they practically made their location known thanks to their last effort to destroy the Organization a week back."

Kouji nodded. He had wondered about that too. "Do you think they might be over confident?"

"Maybe. With that Clone and those three guys from before…"

Kouji understood what the older man was trying to say, and he felt it too. Despite unlocking the powers that they possessed, there was still that lingering feeling in their minds that they still won't stand a chance at something that had been made only to fight – Takuya's Clone.

He still was unsure as to what the clone meant when 'it' took and ate Takuya's eye – a memory that he wanted so much to forget. It was disgusting, inhumane, and certainly not one of the moments that anyone would want to remember. He would rather think of pretty pink flowers than THAT.

As for the three guys that had almost wiped them off the face of Frontiria, Kouji was confident in dealing with them. He thought that if Takuya, who was the masked warrior back then, defeated those three with his level 3 powers that had just been awakened, they could certainly do it again with all six of them having obtained their own level 3 and are able to fully control it. Victory over them would be inevitable, of course, unless they had been modified.

He sighed. This was what "free time" can do for him – thinking of what ifs, possibilities and all sorts of troublesome things that would otherwise have nothing to do with him.

Teppei suddenly intruded.

"The second team's vessel had been spotted." He said. "It seems they got delayed because of the idiot."

Kouji understood that he meant Takuya.

"How long before they arrive?" Katsuharu asked without looking back.

"About an hour or so." Teppei answered. "We're lucky we have the stealth technology that greatly surpasses that of the Kingdom, otherwise, we can be sure that they would have bombarded something as huge and daunting as that."

Katsuharu nodded but did not say anything. Kouji also agreed. He had learned first hand that the Organization's technology was far more advanced than anywhere in the world. The ship that he was on, for example, was as big as the second team's vessel, and yet despite the size and the enemy's surveillance of the area, they were not found. The same goes for the days that they had spent on the island. He would have called it "Invisibility", but Teppei had explained to him that it was more of an illusion – a camouflage.

"Well, now we can rest assured that the enemy did not attack the mansion while we were away." Kouji spoke. It alleviated his worries, but then again… now that the second team has arrive, their real work behind, and it certainly would be harder than the first.

* * *

"Damn it!" Takuya cursed as he banged his fist at the large, iron doors. "I told you I could fight!"

Despite his shouts and the noise that he was making, no one bothered to talk back or even listen to him as he was locked up once again by orders of the Leader.

"This is not fair!" He went on. "You sent all those "ordinary troops" with them, but you cannot send me? What's up with that?!"

He was angry, and he did not bother to hide it. He would shout and make as much noise as he can and he doesn't care about what they would think. His promise was much more important than anything else.

He had promised to protect her, but by being locked up in the room that he was all too familiar with, he knew that he would be unable to fulfill that promise. He had also promised to be the one to stop her from crying and worrying over her father, but that promise would be left unfulfilled unless he finds a way out of that room.

He sighed. Keeping it from the others was really not worth the trouble but, he knew he had to, after what he had learned.

It was just by accident though, or maybe it was by fate that he came across that information.

During the course of his training, he would often dream of Flayhm. Those dreams was real, he knew it, after all, it was Flayhm who showed him how to communicated to others like them in dreams, so it would only be natural that he would contact him through such methods as well. But it seems that Flayhm's way of communicating is one way. Takuya would not be able to call for him in his dreams, only Flayhm could do that. That was the difference between the dream in which Takuya communicated with Izumi.

It was Flayhm who told him about it. It still bothered him how his missing guardian could know of such things.

He closed his eyes for a while and began to remember that vivid dream.

_"I don't have much time left, Takuya." Flayhm had said._

_Takuya could not see his face to know if he was joking about it or really meant it, but judging from his voice, Takuya could guess that his friend was in pain and was sad._

_"What do you mean?" Takuya asked. This dream was before the dream where Flayhm was supposedly taken by a shadow. "You mean in talking like this in a dream?"_

_He heard movement, he guessed it was the movement of Flayhm's head but he couldn't see if he was shaking his head or nodding._

_"Don't ask questions, Takuya… don't speak for now, just… listen." The guardian said. "Time is short, and I can only tell you this. You may have already guessed it or know about it, but I left a part of my power with you when I gave you my eye… I know it isn't much, but with enough effort and training, you might be able to get back that which you have lost."_

_"You?" Takuya asked. It was evident to him that Flayhm was something dear that he had lost._

_Flayhm laughed, it was a mixture of fondness and sadness. "Your power. However, it won't be as powerful as it was before… maybe it would only be half of it. The only way to fully regain your strength if by defeating your clone… something that I can no longer help you with."_

_Silence._

_"Takuya, I know you might tell the others about that, but I suggest you choose carefully who you tell your secrets to." Flayhm went on. "A plot has been sent into motion, a plot to capture all of you and someone from your end is helping the enemy."_

_"A spy?" Takuya said surprised. Flayhm affirmed it. "Wait, are you telling me it's someone close to me?"_

_"I… can't say." Flayhm replied. "But you don't have to worry that heart of yours, it's not Izumi or Kouji, I am not even sure if it's a person you've met before… but, you must be wary about what information you impart. That's why, you have to pretend. Pretend that you know nothing, that you're powers are completely out of reach for you. You have to make sure that they would think that you are only just an ordinary human now… and if you can, hide the fact that I transferred half of my powers along with my eye to you."_

_Takuya was taking this all in slowly. He was in disbelief that a comrade may very well be an enemy. Flayhm seem to have seen the disbelief in his eyes or his gestures._

_"Takuya?"_

_"I'm fine… it's just…"_

_"Hard to believe, I know." Flayhm said. "I wish I could help you out more… but this is what I can only do now."_

_"How did you know about this?" Takuya asked, it was an obvious question to ask after all._

_But before Flayhm could answer, he vanished. Takuya called for his name several times, but no answer came. Soon afterwards, Takuya awakened._

Takuya was still clueless as to who this 'traitor' and spy could be. No matter how wary he was, he could never find out the identity of the person. That is why, he had to get out. He had to make sure that nothing bad was going to happen to his friends, especially to the woman whom he was willing to give his life to, Izumi. He was not going to let up though, as the noise barrage went on.

* * *

Izumi was worried, and she did not bother to hide it to her companions: Junpei, Tomoki and Chiaki. The other Chosen Ones thought that she was worried for Takuya, even Junpei who did not bother to hide his feelings for her, had to admit that it was Takuya whom she was worried about. But, they were far from their mark… well, not entirely.

Izumi bit her lip as she remembered the discussion she and Takuya had the night before.

_"Why do you always try and stop me whenever I try to tell them that you've managed to get a hold of some of your lost powers?" Izumi asked, they were once again in the dreamworld – the place that they both felt was their safe haven. "It's hard to believe that you're doing this because you are afraid that they might expect more from you._

_Takuya was sitting beside her along a cliff. They were once again in Harim. They always chose that spot, the spot where they would always go to, past the forest, as a place where they could and would talk. The cliff, overlooking the great valley below and the clear blue skies always made the scenery pristine, and with just the right angle of the sun's rays, it was almost magical._

_Parallel to them was the mountain range overshadowing the valley where they could see the snake-like shape of the river that was Harim's water supply. Beyond the mountains was the vast, blue sea which glimmered when the rays of the sun touched it. The valley, apart from the water supply, also __held various trees and greens that were either too far to see clearly or otherwise, Takuya had no idea what kind of trees they were._

_He was looking over this place. It was not real and he knew that the valley was long gone and the mountains was not as beautiful as it was when they were young. What was before them now was a memory of the place that they both shared. Izumi could see the melancholic look on his face, but she did not wish for her question to be left unanswered, and so, she asked it again, this time making sure that Takuya was really listening._

_"You don't need to repeat that question, you know." Takuya said. "I heard it the first time."_

_"Then why don't you answer?" She asked._

_Takuya sighed. As he talked he never let go of the scenery before him – of the mountains, the valley and the sky, but then, this time he looked directly at her._

_In this dream world, they can look whatever they want. They can change their clothing in a blink of an eye, or even revert back to the appearance that they had as a child or any other states in their life that they had gone through. That was another reason why they both loved this place so much._

_And at that time, Takuya chose to have his eyes as they were before, brown in color. It was one of the things that Izumi loved about him, although she would never say it out loud though. His eyes were honest ones, despite the many times that he had "lied" about his identity, Izumi knew and understood that there was an important reason behind it – something unavoidable._

_"Do you trust me?" He asked suddenly. His gaze never leaving her._

_The question reminded her of the time when she did not knew of who he really was when they first met, and it surprised her that he would ask such a question._

_She saw the seriousness of it, and decided to drop whatever useless thing she was about to say and instead gave him a straightforward answer. "You should know by now that I trust you."_

_He nodded and gave a small smile. "Good, because I trust you as well… with all my heart. And because there's something I have to tell you, something you have to make sure no one else would know… at least, not until the time is right or unless by your own judgment you find them trustworthy."_

_Izumi nodded._

_"You have to swear that." Takuya said as he held out his pinky._

_"You're kidding, right?" Izumi said raising an eyebrow. "A pinky promise? Aren't we old for that?"_

_Takuya grinned, "You're never too old for something. Anyways, it's just like old times. So, do you promise?"_

_Izumi resigned and gave her promise._

_"Good." Takuya nodded. "Now, listen carefully… do you remember that time at the clearing?"_

_Izumi could feel her face burning as she remembered a different memory than what Takuya had intended for her to remember. If the wind would have pushed or nudged her, she would have ended up kissing him back then._

_"Wh-what about the clearing?" She asked, almost stuttering as she did so._

_Takuya was confused as to why she was stuttering, but decided to shake that confusion off as he said, "That time, I told you I dreamt of Flayhm… right?"_

_Izumi's heart calmed down a bit. She had thought that he would bring a different subject up. There was a mixture of relief as well as sadness as she guessed wrong but decided to tell herself that it simply wasn't time yet._

_"Yes. I remember." She said as she regained her composure._

_"I didn't tell you this back then but, that wasn't the first dream I had of him… but it was the last since I haven't heard or dreamt of him after that. That dream, it was similar to this, minus the fact that it was dark where we always met while every time we meet, well…" Takuya said. "Anyway, in one of the dreams I had of him, he told me some… disturbing things."_

_"Disturbing things?"_

_Takuya nodded as he returned gazing at the scenery. "He told me about a plot. A plot to capture all of us."_

_"I figured that out when they took you away." Izumi butted in._

_Takuya laughed, but only for a little while as he replied. "Well, at least at that time you knew who took me away – those Dark Knights. But this time, the plot is deeper than I would have thought if it wasn't for Flayhm. He said that someone from our side is helping with that plot."_

_Izumi's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. "Are you sure about that?"_

_Takuya nodded. "I have tried to find out who it was, but I never did. There's no way Flayhm would have said that if it weren't true. That's why, I asked you not to tell anyone how my training was going, about my eye, or anything related about my powers. I guess I should have told you that earlier, huh?"_

_Izumi was silent as she contemplated on what he had said. It was then that she remembered something that Kouji had told her._

_"I remember, it was during the first night you decided to stay out of the mansion." She said. "The four of us: Me, Lord Kouji, Lord Junpei and Tomoki were talking to ourselves about certain things concerning us and the Organization. Lord Kouji suddenly changed the topic in the middle of our discussion."_

_"You found that bizarre?" Takuya asked, looking over at her._

_"At first yes, but then when Lord Kouji was escorting me back to our room and we were talking as we walked, he was acting suspicious though, giving side glances as we walked. When I asked him about it the next morning he said that he felt someone was listening in on our conversation and on the hallway, someone was following us." Izumi replied. "I forgot all about it, until you mentioned that spy. Do you think that whoever it was that was listening in on us or following us is the one?"_

_"Probably." Takuya said, then something struck him. "Kouji was escorting you? Shouldn't that be that bodyguard of yours' job?"_

_"He's still a knight working for my father," Izumi replied. "He finds it his duty to do that, besides, he's fun to be with at times, provided he doesn't act too protective and obsessive of what he is tasked to do."_

_Takuya did not bother to speak up at that. Izumi saw the silenced look on his face._

_"Don't tell me you're jealous." She said._

_Takuya puffed his face, like what he does when they were little, and crossed his arms in front of his chest._

_"Anyone would be jealous if they found out that the person whom they have confessed over and over again to, would be having fun with another person." Takuya said. "And anyone would also be jealous if they knew that the person they love seems to be fond of another person."_

_"Well, I'm sorry if you weren't around back then." Izumi replied, of course, she wasn't angry. She wouldn't dare be angry in their special place._

_"So, you're saying that as long as I'm not around you would go on clinging to him?" _

_"Hey! Now that's just going too far." She said. "Let's just drop it before we end up fighting again."_

_Takuya laughed. "Fine, fine… but I still would like to know…"_

_"Know about what?"_

_"About your true feelings." He answered. "I would like to hear it from you, I don't mind if it's in this dream world or not as long as you tell me directly."_

She wasn't able to say anything to him after that, as she found herself lying in her bed awake. She found it somewhat troublesome that something or someone always interrupts their moment. Her feelings for him had been obvious since they were reunited, but she understood what Takuya wanted. She would like it as well if someone confesses directly at her, voicing through words as much as through actions. Words meant a lot.

But that wasn't why she remembered the dream. Those words of warning he said before he awakened still lingered in her mind.

He had told her to be careful and to not trust anyone outside their circle of friends. He even told her to be wary of the organization. And up to now, she took that warning to heart. She knew that she could defend herself better now, but without Takuya by her side, she still felt unsafe.

"Don't worry too much, Izumi." Kaizen told her, but she could only nod.

At that point, Junpei and Tomoki went to her.

"Lady Izumi?" Junpei said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Are you worried about him?"

"Not really… I'm more worried about our safety." Izumi half-lied. In truth, she was more worried of what Takuya would do after the commotion he made before they left.

"You shouldn't hide it, Lady Izumi." Tomoki said. "We're all worried about us but also of Lord Takuya and your Father as well."

His words came as a surprise to her. He was younger than her, but at that moment, he was more composed.

"You shouldn't carry the burden alone." Junpei said. "And don't think of Takuya as the only person who can help as well. Even if I don't want to accept it, we know how you feel for him. But even so, we're also here and we're also willing to help you out. We're friends after all, aren't we?"

Chiaki nodded in the distance.

Izumi could not help but smile. Yes, they were right. All of them were friends, but that only made the job of finding out who was betraying them harder.

In the end, she could not help but ask: '_Takuya, what should I do? Who should I trust?'_

* * *

He waited. Patience was something he had learned now, and it was something that would ensure them of their victory. The flickering flames of are the only source of light in the dark throne room and he was the only one around. The King and his 'Father' had both returned to the castle, they have a lot to prepare for, after all.

He smirked. He could not help but think how ignorant his enemies were. Did they actual think that they could hide their presence from him? He was a Chosen One after all. He could feel their presence… always.

One presence he couldn't feel was that of Takuya. For him, it was proof enough that the real one was dead or had simply lost his powers. It didn't matter either way. If he was dead, it only made his job easier, otherwise he'll end up dead anyway.

The thought of his 'other' self being dead sent a smile on his face. "Once you're dead, Izumi would be mine." He thought out loud.

Just then, someone appeared through a puff of dark smoke.

"So, you're here." He said.

"I'm sorry for taking a while." The other said as he reported. "All the preparations are finished."

"Good." The clone said. "The stage is set… Now let the games begin."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Who would have thought that I would finish this chapter and even write it while listening to Ichigo Kurosaki and Hitsugaya Toushiro (both from Bleach, if anyone's wondering) sing… lol.

Anyways, this chapter sure is filled with flashbacks, isn't it. Had to just do that though, as this is basically the start of the battles in Lone Island. I have to say that I agree with Sightbent about the whole "powers of collective thinking" thing, lol. I guess that's what drove me to write this chapter as well.

Anyways, I hope that this is enough to keep people want to read this fanfic. With that said, and with all the other things I need to finish, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Until next time!

P.S

Jason Castro fans may not like hearing this but, I can't help but feel that Jason just took away a spot that would most likely have been Carly Smithson or Brooke White in Idol's Top 4. Hopefully, it would be a David versus David showdown in the finale… otherwise, if either of the two Davids got booted off next week, I would probably not watch American Idol ever again.


	36. Continuous Divider

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Well, it took a while for me to update this fanfic since I am still sooo busy, but, I manage to squeeze in just enough time for this one. Anyways, Hope you guys enjoy this!

**  
End of Author's Note:**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Continuous Divider**

* * *

The clouds covered any moonlight hiding them even more from the enemy's surveillance. Their steps were precise and their movement nimble. They made sure not to make any unnecessary noises that would let their location be known – a not so easy feat for Junpei, but something that he accomplished anyway. Everyone was still in their normal forms as they wanted to reserve all their energy for whatever lies inside the castle-like structure that they were about to overtake.

Izumi was wary and so was Kouji, whom she had entrusted to tell her and Takuya's findings to. It was as if Kouji had reaffirmed his doubts when she told him of the spy that was sent out to capture them. Both decided not to let Junpei or Tomoki know, not that they didn't trust them, they just figured out that the less number of people to know about the spy being found out, the higher the probability that they would manage to figure out who exactly the spy is.

The four non-organization members were in awe as the fighters that the Organization sent to aid them managed to put off any enemy resistance they find. It was like they were assassins made to kill and follow orders of the highest authority – Assassins that blend well with the darkness of the night. The thought about them being stealthy executioners troubled the young Orimoto and Lord Minamoto, after all, one could not exclude the fact that someone with enough authority to order these Assassins around could also be the spy working with the enemy.

It took just a quick moment for their path towards the evil-looking castle to be clear thanks to the efforts of the Assassins. Once it was so, everyone made their way quickly passed the dead and slowly evaporating bodies of the Dark Knights. Izumi made a mental note to ask of this later. Finally, with what seems like a forever's worth of blending with their surroundings, the group managed to get themselves inside the castle.

The inside of the castle pretty much summed up what everyone thought of the place – creepy and seemingly deserted. Parts of the castle walls were already decaying and crumbling down revealing holes where eyes of various nocturnal animals could be seen gazing with curiosity at the trespassers. It would have appeared to be a lavish castle, but overtime deteriorated to one that could rival a place where Count Dracula could have lived. The thought of unwanted ghosts and spirits lingering about sent shivers down Izumi and Chiaki's spine, if their companions were as scared of the appearance of ghosts, they were doing a pretty good job of hiding it.

Apart from the almost deserted atmosphere and the crumbling walls and fallen pillars, another notable feature of this seemingly out-of-place architectural wonder was that it was pitch dark. No light shone to give anyone hints of which path to take. No candles were lit to give any sign that there was anyone within the walls. But the group new better.

"What do we do now?" Junpei voiced out. He didn't manage to hide the fact that the darkness of the whole place scared him, even but a little.

Everyone looked from the passage to the left to the passage on the right – both had an eerie atmosphere. Kouji could guess what was to be suggested. And his guess was right on the mark.

"We would have to split up." Katsuharu said, an obvious proposal. "Each would take a number of men with them, it would be easier and faster that way. If any team finds something, find a means to tell the other group of it.

There wasn't any choice on the matter and so everyone nodded and agreed to the proposition.

"How should we split up then?" Kouji asked.

Everyone was silent. Izumi guessed that everyone was thinking of it. After a while, Katsuharu spoke again.

"Let's go with strength and teamwork then. Izumi, Junpei, Chiaki and Teppei you four go together while I go with Kouji and Tomoki. Take half of the men with you and whatever path you guys decide, we'll take the other path."

A nod was Chiaki and Teppei's answer. Junpei also nodded with a smile as the thought of having Izumi around with him in such a creepy place would surely give him at least one time with her clinging on to him. Izumi however, looked over at Kouji for a moment, who nodded himself, before she accepted the arrangement.

"We'll take the left path then." Teppei said. No one bothered to go against it seeing as they were unsure of what lies on either path or even what to go up against of.

After that, the two teams separated, but not before Kouji whispered a 'good luck' to Izumi. It would seem that he would have to trust her ability to defend herself as well as on Junpei protecting her in case the spy decides to strike.

* * *

The silence was deafening and Tomoki could swear that he would wonder if he still had the sense of hearing if it were not for the sound of their breathing and the beating of his heart, which was racing as he was excited and at the same time, scared of what they were doing.

Tomoki took notice of it when they split up – Kouji had been eyeing their other companions closely. He was not sure if the others noticed or if they even knew of what that look Kouji was giving them was about. For Tomoki who had been around the young Vice Captain, he knew full well what it was all about.

Kouji Minamoto did not trust the others.

This confused Tomoki. Prior to their arrival at the island, Kouji seemed to have formed a bond of camaraderie with the other members of the Organization, but now it seems that that bond was nonexistent to begin with. He wanted to voice out and ask for the reason why, but he knew and figured that Kouji was bound to have a reason and that he would learn of it soon enough – when the young Minamoto decides to tell him that is.

It would appear that Kouji caught Tomoki looking at him. When he did, Kouji placed a hand over his mouth as if to tell Tomoki not to say anything, then pointed towards the beckoning darkness in front of them. Tomoki, although unsure, could only nod. Kouji had his reasons and he would trust him, he has, after all, not gone wrong with his judgment… yet.

* * *

Junpei noticed that she was tensed. He wondered and even went so far as to guess that it was because of the eerie atmosphere they had found themselves in. If it weren't for the comfort of knowing that he has a power to fight back that no others possess, Junpei himself would be worried as well. But even with that knowledge and even knowing the fact that his Lady Izumi was a strong and courageous woman, it was still confusing to see her act as she was acting. Of course, anyone who hadn't spent a lot of time with her would not note the difference.

He knew better than to worry of how she would fare in a battle, he had seen it first hand after all, the result of her training. Whether it was because of that Takuya Kanbara's help or not, he was not too sure himself. Well, either that or he was just too jealous of all the attention that his Lady Izumi is giving the Kanbara heir.

Another thing that he had noticed as they traverse the damp and dark hallway before them, was that Izumi seem to want to say something to him but is not sure if she should or should not do so. If he would allow his imagination to wander, he could almost hear her confess her love for him – something that he felt was out of the question considering the place and their current predicament. Whatever it was that she was hiding or arguing within herself whether to tell or not, was another mystery for Junpei Shibayama.

* * *

Katsuharu gripped his sword tighter on one hand and the shield he was carrying on the other. Darkness was not their ally inside the ruins they had found themselves in. Who knows if there were enemies hiding behind its veil?

He could feel the darkness staring back at him as he stared at it – it was either there was really something in the darkness or it was the eyes of his companions behind him. What he was certain of was that he was becoming paranoid.

His eyes darted on Kouji and he saw how seemingly stiff he was. Katsuharu wondered if the Vice Captain was also feeling the same paranoia that he was feeling. Both of them, he knew, had been in more missions than anyone else on the team but it would seem that this mission was by far the most critical in all of their careers.

The Leader had instructed him and him alone on what would and should be done once the two teams were on the island, but it would seem that these instructions would not be useful at what they found themselves in.

It would seem that no plans would have worked, and because of that, they would all have to rely on their instincts and their experiences in the battlefield – no matter how little that may be.

* * *

Teppei did not like the arrangement of the team. He did not like it one bit.

Apart from him and Chiaki, he knew that Izumi and Junpei held no experiences in actual combat and even in places such as this. Despite the fact that he knew very well how strong they had turned out to be, experience was first and foremost the most important thing in any missions or battles for that matter.

He wasn't even too sure if Chiaki would be of any help. Yes, she was a member of the organization and a Chosen One like him, but her powers would not be as strong as it were when they were on board the ship.

He held on to his weapon, his twin axes, tighter. The darkness was creepy but the eerie feeling that something or someone was watching them from beyond the cloak of the darkness was even creepier. He had always hated the dark and that did not help him at all. Of course, he did not show it to any of his companions for fear of being mocked.

Apart from that eerie feeling, he also felt that Izumi was distancing herself from everyone. This, he found explaining to himself, was probably because no one vouched for Takuya to come along. He sighed at how unprofessional the woman can be and even went so far as to wonder what she could have possibly seen in that idiot – all these thoughts were in order to free himself from the creep y atmosphere that seemed to be closing in on him with every second.

In the end he resigned himself in thinking how useful Takuya's flames could have been if he still had his powers at such a moment as this.

* * *

Chiaki had forced herself to have the façade of someone who felt no fear in their current predicament despite the real her screaming and jumping at any sudden movements. She figured that Izumi was also doing the same as they continued forward hoping for the light at the end of the seemingly endless tunnel.

She could almost imagine that they were inside some horror movie waiting to happen and this caused her to be annoyed with herself for thinking of something that did not help ease her frightened feeling.

She looked over at Izumi and noticed that she had a worried expression on her face. It was surprising to note that she didn't seem scared of the darkness and wondered what the other woman was thinking at this moment. Maybe it was something that could also ease her mind.

She had thought about asking her but decided not to when she saw Teppei's annoyed expression. She could guess, being with him in most of their missions, that it was probably because he did not like how the teams were divided. She didn't mind though as she agreed with what Katsuharu had in mind. The four of them could probably be a better team than if any one member was replaced by another, though she also figured that it would be entirely different if Takuya was on this mission.

The thought of the young Kanbara whom she had helped rescue before made her think that he was probably what is on Izumi's mind right now.

'Maybe she's wondering what he's doing?' She thought to herself as they moved deeper into the darkness covered area.

* * *

The eyes of the betrayer surveyed the surroundings. This person knew that the clone's side would be the one victorious. The eyes rested on one of its prey to the other knowing full well how surprised they would be if they realized what was going on and when that time comes it would already be too late.

Yes, it was all to attain that which this person seeks. It did not matter if this person would betray friends and allies, what mattered was the reward gained after all this was over.

For now, the betrayer waited for the right moment and the 'help' that Takuya's clone had promised would come to its aid. The thought of it all sent a smile on this person's face.

* * *

Do you know how, when you pray for something not to happen and then it happens anyway? That seemed to have been the case after what seemed like a forever's worth of walking in the dark. It was unsure who was praying for it not to happen, but it would certainly seem that someone did as a loud howl suddenly echoed throughout the hallway. It didn't matter which hallway it was for both teams heard it as clear as the sky is on a perfect day.

"W-what was that?" Chiaki asked with her eyes wide open.

* * *

"It sounded like one of those things that attacked the base two weeks ago!" Kouji said as he gripped his weapon tighter – something that everyone did at the same time.

* * *

Izumi's hands were already on her back, ready to take an arrow out when she spoke, "Anyone see anything?"

No one answered her query, which left her to assume that what she could see was what everyone else could see – total darkness.

* * *

"Everyone stick together!" Katsuharu commanded. "Walk slowly."

* * *

Teppei also gave the same kind of command as Katsuharu did, thinking that it was the most logical and safest thing to do.

Junpei gulped, but he was not about to turn back into being a coward. He had no one else to depend on, after all, he had to make sure to protect Izumi at all cost. He was her bodyguard after all.

* * *

Tomoki made sure to have his barrier ready just in case there were any surprise attacks. He had been training to make sure that he was quick in doing so and that the barrier would be much more stronger than how it was in the past and that he would be able to keep it up no matter how strong an attack against it is or how long it was needed.

* * *

It was as if that how was what the traitor was waiting for as this person's smile widen. Now all that was left was for 'him' to show up and everything would be put into motion. The time when the betrayer's real self was to be unveiled was drawing near and how that person was anxious of that time to come wondering what the others' expressions would be when they find out that their ally was really an enemy.

* * *

Slowly and together, the two teams moved further into the heart of the ruins.

Suddenly a voice spoke, it was a voice that was all too familiar to Izumi, Junpei, Tomoki and Kouji…

"We've been expecting all of you." Said the voice whose bearer was still hidden behind the darkness. The voice that was heard by both teams despite the fact that both teams were still in two different locations.

* * *

Izumi found herself lowering her bow as she called out the name of the owner of that voice, "Kouichi?"

* * *

At the other team, Kouji also found himself calling out his name, "Kouichi, is that you?"

Kouichi, clad in the same dark armor as the ones that they had dealt with outside the ruins suddenly appeared before them in a puff of dark smoke.

"It has been a while." He said. "Welcome, to Takuya's place."

* * *

"Kouichi, what do you think you're doing working for the enemy?" Junpei found himself asking. "Don't you realize that the person you think is Takuya, whom you are following right now is a fake? A Clone?"

Kouichi looked at the knight, his eyes showed no emotions whatsoever. "What are you talking about, Junpei? Takuya is Takuya." Then he faced Izumi and said, "He's been waiting for you, Lady Izumi."

Every noticed the blank look in his eyes, it was the same as the look Takuya had prior to the events that took place in the ship. He seemed as though he was in a trance, that he was being controlled by someone, and everyone could only guess as to who the puppeteer was.

Izumi took a step back as Kouichi offered her his hand.

"What's wrong, Lady Izumi?" Kouichi asked in a monotone voice, "Do you not wish to see Takuya?"

"I've seen him, and I don't want to see that Takuya that you are referring to." Izumi replied. It pained her to see a friend in such a state as this. It made her wonder if the traitor that Takuya spoke of was Kouichi.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the other team…

"Kouichi, what do you think you're doing? Why are you working for the King? Didn't you want to rescue your grandfather?" Kouji asked.

"Why would I want to rescue someone who had lied to me for years?" Was the reply he received. "Besides, I am perfectly happy being able to work with Takuya once again."

"What are you talking about?" Kouji asked.

"You wouldn't understand." Kouichi answered. "Not now at least. Now, why won't you all come with me."

If Kouji was at ease before, he was no longer now. He pointed his sword at Kouichi as he wondered the same thing as Izumi, and said, "I don't think so. I can't allow you to hand us over to the King knowing full well what he intends to do."

"Kouji's right, Kouichi." Tomoki nodded in agreement as he too poised himself ready for battle. "What happened to you, this… it isn't you."

Kouichi merely stared blankly at them.

* * *

"He would be hurt if he hears you say that, Lady Izumi." Kouichi said as he took another step forward and the darkness behind him seemed to follow.

"I don't care. Open your eyes, Kouichi, that person is not Takuya." Izumi said as she backed away and took an arrow out and placed it on her bow, ready to strike.

Junpei seemed to have noticed that Kouichi had come to take Izumi away, and so he moved right in front of her and also poised himself to defend her. "I won't allow you to force Lady Izumi into seeing that 'thing'."

"How can you all believe that he is a clone when he has enough proof to prove otherwise. Can't you feel it? The power of Flame's Chosen One enveloping this whole area and my power as well – a power that he has graciously given to me."

It was as if they all felt it for the first time since coming to the god-forsaken island. It was as Kouichi had said, they could feel the immense power that was Takuya and also, there was that eerie power, the power that seemed to be beckoning in the darkness, the same power that they felt during the fray with the monsters back in Shore. It was then that they all realized who it was that was really controlling the abominations… it was Kouichi.

Izumi could not help but wonder even more if she had found the traitor, and just when she was about to voice it out, Kouichi spoke yet again.

"Now, why don't you just follow me?" Kouichi said. "Abandon the futile mission of hoping to destroy the King's plans, join him instead and open up the path to a new world."

Kouichi's voice had turned maniacal, and it only made Izumi and Junpei as well as the others sure of where they stand.

"No." Junpei said.

"I'm sorry, Kouichi, but if it comes down to it, we WILL fight you." Izumi added.

Just as they were about to activate their Level 3 powers and duke it out with the Chosen One of Darkness, Izumi felt someone point a weapon at her from behind.

"I wouldn't be reckless and do that if I were you." Chiaki spoke, he rapier pointed at Izumi's back.

"Chiaki, what do you think you're doing?" Teppei asked, shocked at his comrade's action.

* * *

"I think you should think twice of what you are about to do." Katsuharu said as he in turn pointed his sword at Kouji and summoned his Spirit Guardian to bind Tomoki to the ground. "I can't let you ruin it for us now, can I?"

"Katsuharu?" Kouji's eyes widen, he was bewildered as he had already resigned himself into thinking that it was Kouichi, whom Izumi had been warned of, as the traitor.

"Surprised?" Katsuharu asked with a smirk on his face. "It was hard having to play the role of always siding with the Leader, I was worried that someone would find out about where my loyalties truly lie."

"Nice work, Katsuharu." Kouichi said. "The King would be pleased."

"So it was you," Kouji said gritting his teeth in anger, how could he had let his guard down. "I should have known."

"What's going on?" Tomoki asked. "Katsuharu, why are you doing this?"

"Hmph, I don't need to explain myself to the likes of you." Katsuharu said as he turned around and ordered his men to ensure that their captives would be shown to the 'Master of the Ruins', who was Takuya. Then he turned towards Kouichi and said, "I'll leave them to your capable hands, Lord Kouichi."

Kouichi nodded and with a puff of smoke vanished into the darkness. It was then that Kouji and Tomoki were forced to walk to the throne room where Takuya was waiting for them.

* * *

"I've been planning this moment since I've learned that Izumi's father has been captured," Chiaki said, her voice held no warmth and kindness as it did before, "I knew full well what the Organization would think of doing. Of course, I only managed to report what I could gather from the Organization and had Takuya's Clone and Lord Kouichi plan everything else – the lack of capable guards was one of them, and so is this dark corridors and this moment. It was all to capture all of you."

"So, you're the spy…" Izumi said, her back was still turned as she knew that any sudden movements on her part would give Chiaki the reason to attack.

"Yes, I was the one who was always lurking about, listening in to your conversations with your friends. I was the one who gave the information on what Ship we were going to take and when, and I was the one who gave the enemy the information they needed to infiltrate Shore's defenses. I had the hardest time trying to act all friendly, and to act as though I was really for the Organization – I guess I must have acted pretty well if no one, not even you Teppei, could see through my disguise."

"I don't believe you, Chiaki!" Teppei said as Chiaki's men began to surround them. "How could you work with the same people who killed your family and tortured the one you care for the most?"

Chiaki looked at him and every single one of the people whom she had betrayed, she loved to see the look in their faces – that priceless look of disbelief, as she replied. "It was because they were also the one who brought us back."

It was a confusing statement from her. Teppei was about to ask her what she meant when Kouichi spoke.

"I am sure Takuya, the King and Lord Kanbara would be happy of your accomplishments, and so will 'he' be." Kouichi said. "Now, take them to the throne room, Takuya awaits."

And with that, he vanished.

As the three Chosen Ones were being forced to walk their way to the throne room, Junpei could not help but wonder what they have gotten themselves into.

"Is there any hope of escaping this place now?" He wondered.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Post Author's Notes:**

Well, it wasn't long but it was enough for this chapter. A bit of a cliffhanger at the end and just to lift off any confusion as to who the traitor was, it was both Chiaki and Katsuharu. As for any other questions regarding that, well, the future chapters would serve to give the answers. There's more to their betrayal than meets the eye… that's for sure.

Now, I had a hard time trying to hide who the traitors were up to the last moment, and I am unsure if I did a good job of it. Also, I apologize for not being able to update sooner – I, as I have told time and time again, am very busy now-a-days especially with my vacation almost over and with all the jobs I found myself in.

I was planning on updating the night when the new American Idol, David Cook (yes!) was crowned, but, something came up that hindered me from doing so. Now, with this fanfic updated, I shall begin working on CoT: CW, and after updating that, will I return to this fanfic. Hopefully, before this week end, I might have another Rabbit on the Moon chapter for you guys.

Well, thanks for the review(s) I got from the previous chapter and for the hits as well. This is as far as I would type in this chapter, and so with that said, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out.

Take care everyone!

* * *


	37. Your Circumstances

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, this came out quicker than I expected. Thanks for the reviews again, guys! I appreciate it. Well, I hope you guys enjoy on this chapter, the next chapter is where things really gets heated up.

Enjoy!

**End Author's Notes:**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Your Circumstances**

* * *

Takuya was restless as he lay on his bed. He didn't know why, but he could not help but feel that something was amiss. He could not calm himself down enough to sleep and he didn't even know why. This annoyed the young Kanbara very much.

His worries suddenly sent him thinking of a certain blond haired woman and all of their friends who are all currently on a mission of great importance. A mission that he should have been a part of but instead caused him to be locked up in his room with no means of escape. He could not help but wonder if it was because of her why he couldn't find himself to sleep.

_"No."_ Takuya thought to himself. _"It's not her, it's the traitor…_"

His thoughts carried him back to thinking who the traitor could possibly be, which in turn made him think back of Izumi – wondering if she was safe and unharmed which brought him back to the traitor and the cycle just kept on going depriving him of his sleep.

"Damn it." He cursed as he finally gave up on the idea of sleeping and instead stood up and walked towards the barred windows of his room.

The moon was crescent in shape for that night, and there were not enough stars to view as he would have hoped. The sky was partly cloudy and the wind was cold as it blew at him. This did not ease nor calm him at all.

Takuya wondered if there had been any contact between those sent on the mission and the Organization. He wondered if everyone was doing well. He wondered if the traitor had been figured out and had been caught. He wondered of all sorts of things that he otherwise would have wished he didn't think of.

He sighed. How he always hated that feeling of anxiety to an unknown something.

* * *

"Did you really think that you people would have the upper hand or something?" The Clone spoke as he sat on his throne, a smirk planted on his face. He was showing them how powerless they are. "I have to say, I could not have hoped for a better outcome from all of this."

His eyes lingered on Izumi as he spoke. Izumi did not bother to look away, she stared back at him with an angered look and with detest. She did not bother to hide the fact that she hated, no, loathed him.

"I have to applaud all three of you." The Clone went on, this time speaking to Kouichi, Chiaki and Katsuharu. "I certainly am happy that you have chosen to side with us, Katsuharu."

"I have always planned for this moment to come, that I may help and serve the King of Frontiria." Katsuharu replied.

Teppei clenched his fists. He gave the same look that Izumi was giving the Clone to the person whom he had always admired and followed. He was at a disbelief that out of the three of them, only he stood faithful to the Organization and its principles and mission.

"Nice work as well, Chiaki and of course, my dear friend, Kouichi." The Clone went on.

Chiaki bowed and Kouichi merely nodded as he still wore the same blank expression as he did before.

"Now, we only have to prepare the machine for the extraction." Clone Takuya said. "Kouichi, I have to ask you to send these people to their 'rooms'… we wouldn't want them to escape before we obtain what we have been asked to get now, do we?"

"Of course, Takuya." Kouichi replied.

And the next thing the prisoners know was that they were being whisked away into some dark place. Before they know it, they were already inside a prison cell… everyone of them that is, except for Izumi.

"I have been ordered by Takuya to take you here, Lady Izumi." Kouichi spoke monotonously.

Izumi found herself in a room that she did not expect could be found as such a ruined place. It reminded her very much of her room back at her mansion. It was lavishly decorated and well lit, unlike the rest of the ruins.

"Where are the others?" She asked.

"They're lock up somewhere else, of course." Kouichi replied. "There is no need to worry, though. We would not finish them off, Takuya would just extract their powers as a Chosen One and use it for the benefit of the Kingdom. Of course, you would not be harmed as well, Lady Izumi… after all, that is the last thing that Takuya would ever want."

"Why are you doing this, Kouichi?" Izumi asked. "This is not you…"

Kouichi did not bother to answer as he turned around and vanished with a puff of smoke leaving Izumi by herself in the lavish room. Somehow, she knew that nothing good would come out of her predicament.

* * *

"Damn it all!" Teppei shouted as he pounded on the wall of their cell. "What the hell happened to those two, why did they betray us like that!?"

Teppei did not hide the fact that he was way beyond upset.

"What's more," Kouichi added as he had finished inspecting the place and found no sign of a way out. "Kouichi is also one of them…"

Just then, Junpei spoke. "Hey, where's Lady Izumi?"

It was only that moment that they realized Izumi was not with them. This worried Kouji even more.

"Do you think she managed to escape?" Tomoki asked.

"I don't think she would have left us like this if she did." Kouji replied. "Maybe she was taken somewhere else. Now we would have to look for her as well once we get out of this place."

"And we have to get out of here fast." Teppei added. "We do not want to meet face-to-face with that machine that the Clone spoke off. It's the same machine that they used to extract Takuya's DNA to begin with."

"Then we would need to destroy that monstrosity before we escape as well." Junpei stated and everyone nodded in agreement.

Suddenly the clone spoke, "Escape? There's no way to escape, I have made sure of that. And I can assure you that no help will come for you."

Everyone could not help but feel that what the clone was saying is true. After all, every Chosen One had been caught – everyone except Takuya, but they knew that he would be unable to do anything, what with his power gone.

"Admit it, you all have lost." The Clone went on. "I suggest that you come and side with me instead."

"There's no way we would join up with you. No way!" Tomoki shouted.

"Suit yourselves."

* * *

Izumi sat on the bed as she had just finished trying to find a way out. She had tried to open the door, but it was no use. She had tried to break the windows, but some sort of barrier was blocking her attacks. She had tried all sorts of things hoping to escape this room-of-a-prison, but like everything else, none of them worked.

_"We should have been more careful."_ She thought to herself. _"Now, our only hope out of here is if I can wake Kouichi back to his senses or if Takuya manages to find a way over here. But how would he know that we're in trouble?"_

Just then she remembered communicating with him by dreams, but she could not make herself fall asleep. She was worried of what would happen if she does. After all, it was no secret that it was the Clone who ordered to put her in that room and whatever the clone must have in his mind was not good. She was certainly in a fix.

"Kaizen," She called. And her Guardian Spirit immediately emerged. "We have to find a way to get out here, and fast. That machine he said, I'm guessing it's the same thing they used with Takuya."

Kaizen nodded. "I understand, but there's no way we can destroy this room… it's heavily protected by something."

"If we had been locked in the same place as the others, I could easily fall asleep and call for Takuya for help, but…" Izumi stated.

"But that's hard to do here knowing that his Clone could easily go in and out of this place as he pleases and no one would be there to stop him, right?" Kaizen finished.

At that Izumi nodded. "You were the one who helped me understand about how that kind of communication works, is there any way that it could be done without having to fall asleep?"

Kaizen shook her head in response. "There isn't."

Izumi sighed. Just then, the person she least wanted to see appeared before her.

"Are you enjoying your stay here, Izumi?" Asked the Clone as he entered the room. "I made sure to have prepared it just as what I expect you would like."

Kaizen immediately vanished the moment he stepped into the room, as ordered by Izumi. Izumi glared at him in response.

"What's wrong?" He asked. "Don't tell me it's not to your liking."

"Who would like this place? Especially since this is a prison." She retorted.

Takuya's Clone began to move closer towards her and Izumi, with every step he took, took a step back.

"Now, now… this is only a precaution. After we obtain what we need, you'll be free to roam around this place as you wish and you'll also be free to come with me."

"What makes you think that I would do that?"

Izumi kept on backing down as he moved forward, but soon she found herself cornered and the clone saw this as his chance as he moved closer.

Izumi mentally cursed herself, she should have been aware of her surroundings. She frantically searched for a way to dodge him and get away from him, but alas, there was no such way.

He was now only an arm's length away from her when he asked, "Why do you keep on running away from me? Don't you understand that I am Takuya."

"How many times do I have to tell you that you are nothing like Takuya!" Izumi said in as much confidence compared to how she was feeling right now. "You're just a cold-hearted person who only thinks of power."

"Maybe you still don't realize it, Izumi. But the fact remains that I am Takuya, the Takuya you know and the Takuya that is standing before you is the same. I am the Takuya that would have been if the other 'me' would have allowed himself to follow on his father's footprints and listen to his father's words. I am the Takuya that could have been if he would not have been too scared to take what deserves to be his. I am that Takuya, the Takuya that could have been and now is. Don't you see? If the Takuya that you know looks deep down in his heart, he would see that we are the same."

"You're lying." Izumi said. "Takuya admired his father up until the point that his father began to thirst for power, he wanted to be like his father but he realized that there is no justice to the weak in what he is doing or what he is planning to do. Takuya is not scared either but he doesn't wish to trample on others just so he can attain what he want. He doesn't force anyone to get what he wants... which is what you are doing. He is kind, something that you are not."

"He is weak, that's why father made me, and chose me to follow on his footsteps." The Clone hissed. "And he is already dead, so why dwell on him any longer?"

Izumi's eyes widen in horror, but soon she realized that the Clone must have thought that because Takuya was not with them, he already died after the events that transpired beforehand. Izumi decided to play along thinking that this would buy her and the others, as well as Takuya, enough time provided that those traitors – Chiaki and Katsuharu, do not say anything after this.

She then acted as she thought she would have done so if it were true – she turned her head away from him. "You killed him…"

The clone smirked, "It's only right that only one Takuya is to exist, right? It just so happens, that I am the one who does." Then he raised her head to meet his gaze, Izumi clenched her fist praying that he would not try to kiss her again. "Before all this ends, Izumi… you will fall in love with me just as you have done so with what you call the 'real' Takuya."

And with that he left.

Izumi's heart was pounding hard on her chest. She was glad that her prayers were answered but it confused her as to the actions of the Clone as with what the clone could possibly be thinking and why neither Katsuharu or Chiaki had told him anything about the true status of the 'Real' Takuya.

"Izumi, are you alright?" Kaizen asked as she once again materialized.

"Yes, I am fine." Izumi replied as she slumped down on the ground. "Just a bit shaken, that's all."

"I don't know about you, Izumi, but you have to take a chance and try to fall asleep and contact Takuya, it's the only way we can get out of here without compromising anything." Kaizen stated. "We only have a short time left."

Izumi knew this to be the case. It was the only way. She would just have to trust that nothing would happen to her while she sleeps.

Nodding at her Spirit Guardian's suggestion, Izumi tried to calm herself and soon afterwards fell asleep. She hoped, as she drifted into slumber, that Takuya would be asleep as well.

* * *

Takuya found himself in the Dream World, he did not know when he fell asleep or what he did in order to fall asleep, but he just resigned himself to it. He was lying at the same spot where he told Izumi about the traitor… it was, after all, the most relaxing place he could think of.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind told him that he was no longer alone in the place. Standing up, he was about to greet her when he stopped seeing the frantic look on her face.

"Izumi? Izumi, what's wrong?" He asked as he ran towards her. "Are you alright?"

"Takuya, something bad has happened." Izumi said.

"What are you talking about?" Takuya asked.

"There wasn't just one traitor, there were two – Chiaki and Katsuharu, they are the traitors," She said with as much calmness in her voice that she could muster. "They betrayed us to your Clone, and now they're preparing that machine that they used on you to extract our powers as well. Everyone's been taken captive and a lot of the Organization's members that went along with us are now working for the King. I also am being held at a different location from the others so I don't know how they are doing."

It took a while before all of that registered to Takuya. When it did, worry suddenly became evident in his features.

"Wait, that clone didn't do anything to you, did he?" Takuya asked, his eyes were filled with anger.

"No." Was her reply. "But I don't know for how long that would last. And also, he doesn't know that you're still alive, but even that, I can't guarantee for how long since Katsuharu and Chiaki might speak up about it."

"Did you get to see your father, the General and Kouichi?" Takuya asked.

"I didn't see Father nor the General, but Koichi… he's…"

"He's what?"

"He is being controlled by the King, brainwashed, I think. And what's more, he is also a Chosen One." Izumi explained. "He was the one who sent all those abominations to Shore, and he helped capture us as well. Takuya, I don't know what I should do. There's no way to escape from here. You're my only hope."

Takuya nodded as he took her in his arms. "I will rescue you and the others, I promise."

"But what if something like the one in the mirage happens?" Izumi asked her head buried in his chest as tears suddenly fell from her eyes. "I can't… I don't want to see you ending up dead, Takuya. Your clone, he was telling me how it is only right that only one 'Takuya' exists, and that 'Takuya' was him."

"Do you believe him?" He asked.

"Of course not!" Izumi replied with such strong conviction.

"Then as long as you believe that, then I could keep on fighting." Takuya replied. "He's right about only one 'Takuya' existing, but I won't let it turn our as how he expected it or thinks it has. Just wait for me, I will come and save you."

The moment they were done talking, Takuya immediately woke up. He knew that he would have to find away out of the place even if he would have to destroy the whole building.

It was during such thought that he realized that he could do just that, but he knew that it was too excessive. He also realized that since the Organization thought that he had completely lost all of his powers, there was no need to put a reflective barrier in the room to stop him from using what they thought was powers that he has completely lost.

How their judgment on the matter could have been more wrong, but even so, Takuya could not help but thank then for having such poor judgments. He immediately went over the barred window and using a little bit of his power, he melted the bars and created an opening large enough for him to go through.

Takuya could not help but grin and also feel foolish that he hadn't thought about it sooner, but his grin faded away as he remembered that he did not have time to waste. Now that he was out of that damn room, he had to hurdle yet another problem which has surfaced. The problem of how he was going to get to Lone Island at such an hour without the Organization knowing.

"I can't go and ask the port for a boat, they won't lend me one and they have probably been given a notice about me." Takuya thought to himself. "The Organization's vehicles are password protected, and I'm not too good with cracking those things, so I might as well put an 'X' on that one…"

"Damn it! What am I suppose to do!" He found himself cursing.

It was a surprise to him that someone spoke to him. And that someone was the last person he wanted to see at the moment.

"I should have figured that you were hiding you're true status, Takuya." The Leader spoke which certainly surprised Takuya, after all, he had made sure not to make any sound as he escaped.

"You! How did you…" Takuya exclaimed as he pointed a finger towards her, shocked.

"Didn't I tell you that I would be seeing to it that you don't do anything foolish personally?" The Leader replied. "Why did you hide the fact that you have regained most of your powers from us? I could only guess that Lady Izumi knows of it."

She was reading him all too well much to his liking.

"It was a safety measure." Was all he replied. The Leader did not seem to want to pry on the matter further.

"What do you think you're planning to do?" She asked. "I can not let you go to the Lone Islands even if you have regained most of your power. Compared to how strong your opponents are most likely to be, you are not fit to fight with them yet."

"And I can't stay and wait for that time when you think I am ready to fight again to come." Takuya replied. "Or could it be that you're also a traitor… that you planned to have me stay here so that they could all be captured easily and without any problems?"

"What are you talking about?" It was the Leader's turn to be confused.

"Izumi and the others have been captured." Takuya answered. "They were betrayed and sent to what could possibly be their doom all thanks to two of your subordinates – Chiaki and Katsuharu. Was it you who ordered them to do that? To betray us?"

"I do not know what you are talking about." The Leader replied. "There is no way that they would turn against us. Chiaki has so much hatred for the King and his people to betray us and Katsuharu has so much faith in the Organization to even go against his sworn duties."

"Then I guess you're either playing dumb about it all or you really do not know anything about your people." Takuya retorted. "What I've told you is true, they handed my friends over to the enemy and there is no way I could sit this one out. Izumi… communicated with me using something that only _we_ can do, that's how I learned of it and I won't allow that Clone to lay another finger on her. You can try and stop me, but I can assure you, I will resist to the best of my abilities and to whatever extent the power I have has."

Silence filled the air and the Leader noticed that Takuya was not lying. He really was going to do whatever it takes to rescue his friends. And he wasn't also lying about Chiaki and Katsuharu either, this troubled the Leader even more.

"You really do resemble your father when he was still young, Takuya." The Leader suddenly spoke, but the coldness in her voice was no longer there, instead, there was melancholy. "I should have kept a closer eye on my people. I guess it could not be helped now."

"Don't compare me with my old man." Takuya spoke. "I am nothing like him."

"Maybe nothing like him now, but when he was as young as you are now, he was a lot different from what you now know him to be." The Leader said. "If what you say is true, and I fear that it is, then we really do not have any time to waste. You can very well be the only thing that stands between us loosing this battle -- the destruction of this world , and the foiling of the King's plots. For that, I cannot stop you."

Takuya was surprised at what he just heard. _"Is she really letting me go?"_ He wondered.

He stared at her in disbelief.

"Take the black yacht over there," She went on. "It's the fastest thing we have and it doesn't have any security locks on it. You would be able to use it to get to the Lone Islands. The last report we heard said that the ruins are located due north of the Island."

"Why are you helping me now?" Takuya asked. "How could I trust that you are not doing it to hand me over as well?"

"I can't prove my loyalties, Takuya, but you would have to trust my word for it if you want to save your friends and Izumi as well."

Takuya thought for a while, then nodded, accepting the offer that was given to him. Just as he was about to board the black vessel, the Leader spoke yet again.

"Your mother would be proud that you have grown to be such a person." She stated.

Takuya looked back at her and nodded. He didn't know what to say, but deep in his heart he wished it to be true.

It took only a few seconds to get the Yacht running, and a couple more before Takuya was out of view and on his way to the Lone Islands.

* * *

"How long will it take before the machine is ready?" The Clone asked.

"About two days, Lord Takuya." Came the reply of one of the scientists. "That's the fastest we can make it work."

"Very well, just make sure that nothing goes wrong and that there are no more delays."

"Of course, sir."

The clone, after hearing the scientists' response turned around and walked away. Yes, everything was going according to plan. Soon, he and his father would gain what they have both desired… and yet, something kept on bothering him. The words of that woman, Izumi Orimoto.

He could not understand why she could not view him as Takuya. He was Takuya, was he not? What's more, why would she choose to dwell on one who is already in the pits of Hades than with him? 

Was it 'kindness' as she said, that made him different than the original? He was more powerful, he has everything within his grasp as the King had promised, he has all the memories of the other Takuya, and he is perfect. Then why can she not fall in love with him just the same way he guessed that she felt for the other Takuya.

"Kindness – that's only for the weak. The strong doesn't need it, it only hinders our growth." He muttered as he went on his way to meet with his subordinates.

* * *

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, that's that for this chapter. I really had to work double time for this since I had to go to bed earlier than usual. There are a lot of high points that are written in this chapter that would determine what would happen in the future, you have to really read it thoroughly to get it.

Another thing, as I've said in CoT: CW, I'm thinking on hiring a Beta Reader for my fanfics, of course, I am not sure on whether to do that or not, but maybe you guys can help me decide.

Since I really am enjoying myself writing this, I have come to a conclusion that I would be making a game for this fanfic after my schedule becomes less cramped. But, that is also something that I am thinking about doing.

Well, I would have to stop here for now. I hope you liked this chapter, the next one would come out in three days or so, right after the CoT update. So until then, "PEACE" and take care, everyone! Don't forget to review, 'kay?

**End of Author's Note**


	38. Dark Conviction

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Well, here's the newest chapter of The Rabbit on the Moon, as promised. Thanks for the review, guys and for the hits as well… though I am not sure if those hits also meant that this being read.

Anyways, just enjoy this short albeit surprise-filled chapter!

**End of Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Dark Conviction**

* * *

Takuya was already half-way to his destination. The journey that could at least have taken him a a day and a half, seemed like it would take lesser time all thanks to the speed that the boat the Leader have lent him was taking him. He should have felt glad about it, after all, he was on his way to rescue the others yet, at that moment, Takuya Kanbara felt like he could very well just hang himself up for making such a blunder.

Because of how frantically he acted, he wasn't thinking straight when he managed to bust out of his so-called "prison", he just went on ahead and ran to the Organization's harbor to find any vehicles. 

But, what he now thought he should have done before hand came to him as he realized that what he was only wearing was nothing more but regular clothing – no armors… and what's more, he didn't even have a sword. Now, a new dilemma came to him. Just how was he going to do all the saving?

He thought about using his power… at least, what power he has at that moment, but even that did not bode well. He didn't even know at the moment, to what extent he could use his power.

He sighed in frustration as he wondered why the Leader did not say anything about the matter. But, then again, how could she have said anything about it when she knew he wasn't going to listen any way?

Takuya decided to set the boat on auto-pilot as he wanted to know what secrets such a vehicle have like: Why the Leader didn't let the others use it or what are its other capabilities and so on. His first question however, was answered as soon as he thought of it. He wasn't able to see the boat clearly before thanks to the lack of lights in such a darkened night, but now that it was mid-day, he could clearly see everything.

The boat was only made for one passenger, despite it being a yacht, there clearly was no more room left on it thanks to all the weird gadgets and things Takuya had no way of knowing what those were for. He could not help but think that such a boat was made for spying purposes.

_"If that's the case,"_ He thought, _"that would mean that this thing doesn't even have weapons on it."_

He sighed. He should have really thought things through first. Just then, as he was about to return to steer the boat manually, he caught a glimpse of something shining as the sun's rays hit it over by the table where all th navigational charts were. Curious as to what it is, the young Kanbara went to it.

The 'thing' was covered by a large enough cloth and only a part of it was sticking out, that part was the part that was shining. Takuya took the cloth off of it, making a mess as he did so and what he saw underneath gave him a surprise.

"That old lady…" He said as he took hold of the sword that was underneath the cloth and lifted it up. "I guess she really did expected me to find a way to escape…"

He then placed the sword back on its sheath and took the armor that was along with it. He then proceeded to put the armor on himself.

There was nothing to note about the armor or the sword except for the fact that it was the same weapon and armor that the members of the Organization that went with Izumi and the others wore and had. It didn't bear any insignia as it should since one could only guess what would happen if people wearing it would be caught and the Organization would be expossed. Although Takuya guessed that the enemy had already known beforehand of the existence of the Organization, it still did not mean that the Leader would think of lowering their guards… it was definitely the contrary.

As he finished dressing himself up, only one item remained… it was a Full-face helmet that had a note sticking out of it. Wondering what it was all about, Takuya grabbed the helmet and the note and proceeded to read the contents of it.

_I had figured that you would try and escape, and in trying you would succeed. If you are indeed reading this letter, Takuya, then that would mean that you have succeeded and that I have helped you on this recklessness of yours. I may not fully comprehend the reason as to why you would do something that would endanger yourself, the mission, and quite possibly your friends, but I would have to trust whatever judgement that hard-headed head of yours have. It really does prove that you are indeed your father's son._

Takuya's eyes furrowed. He hated reading it the same way as he hated hearing it – his father obviously have lost all paternal instincts along his quest for power and glory… and the notion that he resembles his father did not fit well with him. Not well at all.

_I had also figured that on your escape, you might have forgotten more important things – such as weapons and armor, and if you are reading this, I am guessing that I am right. Your father, when he was still an ordinary knight had also the same tendency of forgetting such important things – things that a knight should not forget. I can imagine how you detest having to hear it, but the fact is still the same – you are his son._

_I may be the Leader of the Organization, but I know that my status does not concern you and you may not heed my warning. But still, I must condone that and proceed on telling you to, as much as possible, hide your identity from the enemy. I do not know, as I write this letter, how you are able to escape, if you have done so, which is why I do not know if my guess on how you have regained some of your power is correct. But if it is, then that would only put you in a much graver situation that you are already in. Because if that is the case, then you would be the first person to have ever done so, and as _

_such, if the enemy learns of that, they would take you again, and this time, I do not know if we can ever rescue you from their hands._

_Be careful._

And with that the letter ended. Takuya made a mental note to thank the Leader later and also, to ask her why she knew so much about his father and himself. Was he that easy to read? What's more, how could she have guessed that his powers, at least some of it, have returned?

"It would seem," He told himself out loud knowing that no one could hear him in the middle of the ocean and as he took the helmet and looked at his reflection in it, "that the more this journey unfolds, the more questions I have."

* * *

"How was it?" the clone asked as he looked over at the four people sprawled on the cold, hard, ground. All were panting. "That which you have gone through, my friends, is what my father and the scientists calls, the 'First Phase of Extraction'. You all would not have felt that sooner if it weren't for Katsuharu's help in adjusting the machine faster than expected. So you would have to thank him for that."

"Why… are you doing… this?" Kouji asked as he forced himself to stand up. "Is it for attaining more power? Controlling more people? Is that it?!"

Takuya's Clone laughed. It was a cold and icy laugh that could send chills down anyone's spine. When the laughter subsided, he answered. "Should there be any more reasons?"

At that point, Junpei could not ease out the worry that has been building up in all of them, and so he asked, "Lady Izumi… where is she? What have you done with her?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry yourselves about my beloved, Izumi… I would not dream of hurting her… but of course, she has to go through the same experience that you had undergone and the same experience that the 'other' deceased Takuya had undergone as well." Was the clone's reply. "Well, I have to go now, I wouldn't want to keep her waiting."

And with that, the clone left laughing.

"Did he just say 'deceased' Takuya?" Teppei said as he forced himself into a sitting position, his back on the wall.

"Yeah, he did." Tomoki answered. "That would mean that he thinks Takuya's dead. Maybe Lady Izumi made him think that."

"That may be the case, Tomoki." Kouji thought of as well. "We can only hope that the Organization realizes something is wrong and sends for help soon… I don't think I can take that again."

"Who would have thought that I'd end up having to live through the same thing that that idiot went through just before we rescued him." Teppei voiced out.

"We can't just wait here though," Junpei spoke suddenly. "We have to get out of here and help Lady Izumi… who knows what that creep is doing to her."

"And how do you suggest we do that, Lord Junpei?" Teppei asked. "There's no way out of here and our powers seem not to work as well."

"We can't just rely on our power all the time," Tomoki said. "Junpei's right, we have to act."

"It's not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing, for the moment, we don't have much to escape." Kouji said. "Believe me, even I would risk everything to escape from here and rescue Lady Izumi, but until we can come up with something, we're left with nothing else to do but wait and hope that someone comes to help."

Teppei could only nod, but in his mind he knew that there was no such hope. The Organization had already sent every single able-bodied member they have in this mission. With half of them allying themselves with the enemy and the other half behind bars, there was really not much hope left… except…

_"This is your time to pay me back, Kanbara."_ Teppei thought to himself. _"I've helped you once before, maybe you can help us this time around."_

* * *

Izumi braced herself for whatever was to come as she was strapped in a metal chair and all sorts of wires were placed on her. She was trying to be brave and she knew that she had to try harder in doing so for she didn't actaully felt brave at all, she only felt frightened… very, very frightened.

She hoped that her brave front was working though as she continuously glared at the Clone who was watching not to far, highly amused. Oh, how she hated him.

Somewhere in the same room, Chiaki was also watching and in her face was planted a smile.

"You have nothing to worry about, Izumi." The Clone said over from where he stood watching, "This phase would not last very long. It would hurt though, I cannot lie about that."

She knew he was trying to unnerve her, which was the reason why she forced herself not to scream at the pain as the machine roared into life and the First Phase of Extraction was sent into motion. No matter how much she wanted to scream, she didn't for she knew that her screams would sound pleasurable to the clone. She bit her lip up to the point where it had begun to bleed. But still she did not whimper nor cry.

Kaizen could do nothing, for she too also felt the same pain, if not worst as the machine forcefully did its job on them.

As the clone watched something inside him started to hurt. He did not know what it was but it made him feel uneasy and somehow… sick. It was something that never happened before, and so he made a mental note to ask the scientists about it. But even as he felt this, he still continued to watch, with his arms crossed.

No sooner than this did something fell from his eyes. It was wet and tasted bitter. When he put a hand on his face and traced the flowing water, he found it was coming from his eyes. He was… crying?

"How… Why?" He found himself whispering. He immediately looked around and found that no one was minding him, with this, he exited the room.

* * *

Takuya felt a cold shiver up his spine. He knew he had to hurry. He knew that there was no time to lose. And he also knew that he had a one in a million chance in saving his friends.

_"Even if it's just a one in a million, I know I'm that one."_ He found himself thinking. _"Just hold on a bit longer, Izumi… I'm coming."_

* * *

Izumi found herself in the room that the Kouichi had first brought her in. She felt weak and the pain that she was feeling during the extraction still has not ebbed away.

She could not help but realize that Takuya had also went through the same thing, if not more intense than what she had undergone. She wondered what he was thinking when it happened. Was he also trying to do what she was trying to do knowing that those people wanted them to scream in pain?

She cried hoping that the tears could drown the pain away. But in the end, it didn't as it only made her fell asleep.

Izumi did not know that in the darkness of the room she was in, she was not alone. Someone else was in there with her.

"Why?" the clone asked as he looked at Izumi from the darkness. "I am a cold-hearted warrior, I know that I am a clone and that I have been programmed as such… program to even think of you. But why is it that now, I feel… different? Has my mind been poisoned by you and your people?"

The clone thought for a while. "No, that's not possible… this feeling of uneasy… it has to stop."

The clone touched his face once again, and traced where the tears have fallen earlier on. "I am a cold-hearted warrior… one who isn't meant to feel anything. Those tears… would be the last ones I shall shed."

And with that, he vanished making his way to the scientists that he had arranged to meet. He doesn't know what was happening to him. If he was "malfunctioning" as his father would put it. But whatever it was, he was going to get that fixed.

* * *

It was already night time and Takuya had made sure to dock the boat somewhere where no one could see it much less find it. Before he unboarded the ship, and knowing that some of the Organization's members had already sided with his crazy father and the equally crazed King, Takuya knew that they would be well on guard.

He hoped, as he placed the Helmet on, that these members still haven't been given any new armors or uniforms. If they haven't, then that would make his sneaking around easier… If they had, then he would just have to knock someone out and take whatever it is that they are wearing to blend in with the crowd… he would prefer the first option though.

Takuya sneaked past the forests and soon found himself near the ruins. Just as he was about to step out of the forest and make a run for the ruins, he heard voices and a movement. Freezing on the spot, Takuya prayed that he would not be found.

As it happens, the voices belong to people wearing the same outfit as he was. And, as if his prayers were answered, they just passed him by.

Takuya breathed a sigh of relief from under the helmet. He could not believe his luck. But even so, he knew he had to be careful. He didn't know how much the enemy knows of him now or even where his friends were being kept.

As Takuya tried to act as casually as he could while sneaking into the ruins and around, he could not help but think back on how this very much resembled his first rescue mission when Izumi was caught. He hoped the outcome would not be the same as it was back then… he certainly did not want to get himself caught afterwards.

After making his way, and losing his way as well inside the ruins a couple of times, Takuya finally got to the correct pathway that contradicts the lifeless passages that he had passed through. It may be because of the incredulous number of ex-Organization members that had switched sides or because of the narrow passageway which made it seem too crowded.

_"Even the Academy never got this crowded."_ Takuya thought as he remembered his long, lost life as a Knight's Apprentice.

Making sure that he doesn't stand out too much and knowing that he didn't have time to waste, Takuya decided that the only way he could find where the others were being kept was if he would ask about it. He thought that since these people had already percieved him as one of them thanks to his disguise, that he could easily pull something like asking a question off.

Takuya searched around tried to look for anyone that he was familiar with, particularly those whohad their helmets off, but he soon found that he knew none of them. He then looked for the one who seems like the person in-charge. He decided to go with the usual type of people for that job – an intimidating person who had a lot of people around him… that wasn't so hard to find.

Takuya saw the leader in the person of a large, mascular man who certainly regards himself as invincible seeing that he was not wearing any armor at all, save for the shoulder pad and armlets. This man seemed no older than 25 and he had a look that tells Takuya that he had already been through a lot of missions and had seen a lot of bloodshed. Takuya knew better than to mess with that kind of people, but he had no choice. Pulling out what he could only regard as his talent for acting, the young Kanbara went on to this bald-faced man and acted all noobish.

"Excuse me, sir." Takuya said with a fake voice that showed off he was intimidated. "I've been ordered to check up on the prisoners, but I seem to have lost my way."

"The prisoners, eh?" Came the man's voice. "Well, it's no surprise that you lost your way, this place is like a maze. Who sent you to check on them though?"

Takuya immediately said the name of the first person that came into his mind. "Lord Kanbara, sir."

"Oh, can't really go against the big man around here." The man said. "You're a rookie, aren't you? Well, I could imagine the surprise you must have also felt when you saw the man that looked like the person the Organization was protecting… of course, I heard that guy in the organization was dead… died during a fight they said… But I haven't seen him myself, so I don't know if that's the case."

"I see, sir. Well, I don't know about anyone from the Organization… this was supposed to be my first mission." He lied.

"Really, now… that's interesting." The man said. The people around him seemed not to be the type to talk, other than that, they seem like they do not wish to interfere this man while he talks. "So, what made you suddenly decide to abandon the Organization?"

It was a question that Takuya had thought would be asked to him. Of course, he hadn't really thought of any answers to that.

"I…" He was about to say, but the man cut him off.

"Nah, forget about it, tell me that later, for now, you shoud go ahead and check on those prisoners. Just follow the passage east of here and go down the first set of stairs that you see on your left, after that, head north to another set of stairs and descend it as well as the one after that and you should find yourself in the Underground dungeons." The man said. "Don't get lost now, ya hear?"

Takuya bowed and immediately left. He didn't know what he would do if he would have to stay in that place any longer. During his conversation with that man, though, he had learned of one thing, someone was still keeping his secret of being alive. This of course was confusing for him, after all, Katsuharu and Chiaki could easily falsify those rumors that he is dead. But he decided to put such thoughts at hold for the moment, he needs to be as quick as he could be. He knew not when he will be found, but he had to make sure that the others were free before that time comes.

* * *

Izumi began to stir awake. As she did, she was surprised that she had fallen asleep in the first place. But as she regained consciousness, so too did her Guardian Spirit. And the moment that Kaizen regained her consciousness, she immediately was able to detect someone's pressence in the room. This of course, was immediately relayed to her Master, Izumi.

"I'm surprised that you found the courage to even sleep." Came Chiaki's voice. She was siting in one of the chairs present in a corner of the room. Her face was covered by shadows, and her eyes had a glare in them that Izumi could not understand. "I am even more surprised that even now you are being treated like a princess."

"Chiaki." Izumi hissed. She certainly could not find any forgiveness for the person before her. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"

Chiaki "hmped" as she stayed seated. She continued to glare at Izumi and Izumi, of course, did not back down, glaring back at the person who betrayed and handed them to the enemy.

"I see that they haven't sucked out your spirit yet." Chiaki taunted.

"And I see you've already traded your soul to the devil." Izumi countered. "Tell me, what did you ask for? Power? Fame? Fortune?"

"Not quite." The other woman replied. "I haven't asked for any rewards yet for what I have done. Of course, they also considered the fact that I willingly let them extract components of my powers. But you know what, Izumi, seeing you suffer like you did back in the laboratory was enough to satisfy me for the meantime."

Izumi's brows furrowed. "Why do you hate me so much? Was befriending me just a façade?"

"Oh, it's not a façade." Chiaki replied. "It's more like, I didn't have a choice. After all, I wanted to make an impression of being a kind, caring, and perhaps even lovable person in _his _eyes. But ever since I first learned of what happened to my brother, and who was responsible for it, I knew I had to take my revenge… and as fate would have brought it, instead of me coming for you, you came to us."

"Are you saying you want some sort of revenge on me? For what? I haven't done anything to you or to anyone! I didn't even knew who you were until just a couple of weeks ago."

Izumi saw Chiaki close her eyes before she began to speak, "Ten years ago, that was the time that the King learned of the people who could possibly be Chosen Ones. At that time, the King learned the possibilities of having those people's power in the Kingdom. Whatever those possibilities are and whatever he wants is even beyond me but… he ordered all his high ranking officers to get a hold of these people. Your Father, Commander Orimoto of the Eastern Corps was one of them. Of course, he was only appointed at a Commander at that time. He was given the mission of handing you over to the King, much like how Takuya's father was also given that mission."

"You're lying!" She shouted, her fists were already clenched.

"Oh, am I now… but wait, you have to hear the rest of it." Chiaki said, she had a smile on her face as she looked at the distraught look on Izumi's face. "Your father, of course, could not bear to hand you over to the King much like how Commander – or should I say General – Kanbara could not hand his son over… the same goes for Kouichi's Grandfather. That, was the reason why, or so I heard, your memories were erased and why you had to leave Harim behind. Why Takuya and Kouichi had to be sent to the Academy for protection. All of that was because of the fact that they wanted to keep you all safe. Of course, to save their hides from the fury of the King, they had to deliver someone to him… and guess whom your father proposed?"

Izumi was silent. She dreaded to know the answer, although she had a clear guess on who it may be.

"Your father, who learned of my brother's, of Terrou's existence and who also learned that my brother is a Chosen One decided to take him away from us – his family, and hand him over to the King. He was the first Chosen One who tasted the prototype versions of the machine… he was the one whom they had made as a guniea pig when it should have been you."

"How could I have known that!" Izumi said, she didn't even know if what this person was saying is true. "You said it yourself, my memories were erased… besides, my father would never do something like that."

"Oh, you're father already confessed. He must have thought that by confessing to his sins in the past, he might have saved his daughter's life." Chiaki said, she stood up as she did so. "Do you know, my brother is alive. And I believe you and Takuya have also met with him before… back when you were trying to escape those that were sent after you the first time, when your petty group was separated on the ruins of a town. That town… it used to be our home."

"If your brother IS alive, then why do you need to take revenge for?" Izumi asked. The moment she had voiced what should have been an unvoiced question, she knew she should not have done so.

"Why? You ask 'Why'?" Chiaki said, she was already conjuring a water attack in the palm of her hands. "It's because he no longer acts like my brother. He acts like he is just a mere puppet – of course, I've already done my revenge on the Kimura's for that… at least, Kouichi could suffer the same fate as my brother."

"I told you, we don't have anything to do with what our parents did!" Izumi shouted as she backed away, but even as she moved back, she was also preparing her own attack.

"I hate you, Izumi Orimoto!" Chiaki shouted as she made a dash towards her enemy. "I swear, I will kill you. And once you're dead, I will have Takuya for myself!"

Izumi's eyes widened as she dodged Chiaki's attack. She could not believe what she had just heard. "What did you just say? Have Takuya all for yourself?"

"He was always going on about Izumi this or Izumi that even while he was under the care of the Organization. It was always you who was in his mind day in and day out." Chiaki spoke, ready for another attack. "But, one you are gone, he will then have no one else to confide with or to think of but me… I will make sure of it!"

* * *

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, that would answer… or maybe add more questions to some. Who would have thought that of Chiaki, right? Well, I hope you find this chapter to your liking. I had to cut the chapter into two since it would be pretty long if it would end in just one chapter…

Well, I'm really tired from all the thinking and the writing. So, I'll end this here with the reminder to all of you to review.

Until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Take care, everyone!

**End of Author's Notes**


	39. What Was Left Behind

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By: Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

For a fanfic with about 39 chapters and running, getting 133 reviews is a lot enough for me, of course, that doesn't mean you guys should stop reviewing… if that happens, I would have no clue as to whether people are still actually reading this thing or not (and that would be pretty depressing for me). Anyways, what I am trying to say is "Thanks". And now that I have already said it, here's the 39th chapter of The Rabbit on the Moon.

Enjoy!

**End of Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**What Was Left Behind**

* * *

_There comes a time when every life goes off course. In this desperate moment you must choose your direction. Will you fight to stay on the path while others tell you who you are? Or will you label yourself? Will you be honored by your choice? Or will you embrace your new path? Each morning you choose to move forward or to simply give up and fall to the never-ending abyss of Darkness…_

* * *

Takuya was glad that only a handful of soldiers were guarding the cell… and those soldiers were not even as good as he would have expected. He figured that they were rookies as well. With the Clone in command and thinking that no one would be coming to the rescue, he might have thought to put the rookies into some use. Takuya smirked seeing as how wrongly the Clone have planned all of this.

With the guards dealt with, Takuya took the key from one of them and proceeded to open the door. The moment that the others heard the door opening though, they proceeded with their plan – Attacking whomever it was that was opening the door and making their escape. That is why, when Takuya opened the door, you could imagine his surprise when he was suddenly knocked down by Kouji and Junpei while Tomoki and Teppei proceeded to take the key from his hands.

When the confusion caused by the sudden commotion died down, the four prisoners were surprised to see Takuya as the man under the helmet.

"Takuya?" Kouji asked. "Wait, you are the 'real' Takuya, are you not?"

"Of course I'm the real me!" Takuya shouted. "Now, can all of you please let me go!"

"What proof do we have that you are the real one and not the clone who is just pretending to be him?" Teppei asked.

"Um… guys, I don't think we need to ask for proof… since I don't think the clone would even disguise himself as the 'real' Takuya, well, not after he boasted about having killed him." Tomoki said. "Besides, he is wearing an eyepatch…"

Seeing that young Tomoki had a point, they all decided to let him go.

"And I was hoping for a warm thanks from you guys after all the trouble I went through." Takuya said, it was then that he realized that someone was missing. "Wait a minute, where's Izumi?"

Everyone was silent, which made Takuya all the more aggrivated as he repeated his question. "Where is Izumi? Where is she?"

"When we were caught… or should I say betrayed and handed over, Katsuharu and Chiaki took us to this prison cell while Kouichi took Lady Izumi somewhere else." Kouji was the one who answered. "We don't know where she is being kept, Takuya. I can say for certain that only Kouichi knows but it is also for certain that he wouldn't tell us."

Takuya cursed as he punched the nearest wall. "Damn it! How about Kouichi's Grandfather and Izumi's father? Have you heard of where they are being kept?"

"No." Tomoki replied. "But maybe we can find them down here as well."

"Well then, let's get searching." Takuya said. "After we get them out, we look for Izumi even if we have to go as far as turn this place upside down."

"That's a lot of confidence coming from someone who doesn't have any power." Teppei said as he took the weapons from the guards and handed them to the others who were unarmed. "But, I like it. Let's get this over with and get the hell out of here."

Everyone nodded at that. But even before Takuya could take one step forward, Teppei stopped him, Junpei and Kouji.

"Tomoki, and I can handle rescuing the two old geezers," Teppei said, his face and eyes looking forward and not at the people whom he was talking to. "You three needed somewhere else. Who knows what that creep may be doing with her. Leave this to us and we'll just meet with you guys later."

"Are you sure?" Kouji asked.

"Leave this to us, you guys just go on ahead and save Lady Izumi!" Tomoki said giving them a thumbs up.

The three nodded as Junpei said, "You two be careful now."

"Same goes for you, Junpei." Teppei said with a smirk.

"When you find and free them, you guys will do well to find armors such as the one I am wearing just to get past the crowded passage way and get to the boat. I hid it past the forest to the north of here. We'll meet up there." Takuya said as he proceeded to take off the armor from the two unconscious guards, handing the said armor to Kouji and Junpei. "I'm sure you guys can manage raiding an armory or something."

"Yeah, we'll figure a way through it." Teppei said.

And with that, they parted.

* * *

Izumi saw the pure anger and malice that the other woman had on her. It would appear that she wasn't thinking straight and had let the emotion and perhaps the chance for revenge get to her. Izumi could also not help but wonder if the clone had anything to do with this, if he had allowed this to happen or if he knew nothing of it.

Whatever the answer to those questions were, during this fray, Izumi learned that her powers are not able to destroy any part of the room but, Chiaki's was able to do that. Having dodge her earlier attacks, these attacks managed to hit and destroy the eastern part of the room. Of course, Izumi would have taken the newly opened path to freedom, but, she soon found out where she was being held. Atop a tower in the middle of the ruins.

Thanks to that discovery of where she was being held and that Chiaki could be the key to her freedom, Izumi made her way to the western part of the room where the door was.

"Your pathetic," Chiaki said as she readied yet another attack. "I cannot understand why he would fall for someone like you."

"And what makes you so sure that he would fall for you if you do manage to kill me?" Izumi retorted.

"Oh, I can ask help from Katsuharu for that." Chiaki replied, her eyes looked maniacal now. "You know that he can create illusions, right?"

"He won't fall for that." Was all Izumi managed to say before she hurled an attack towards her.

Chiaki immediately countered with her own attack just as Izumi expected, as before the attack hit her, she jumped out of the way allowing the water attack to collide with the wall close to the door. With the collision of Chiaki's power with the stone wall, an explosion occurred.

* * *

The Clone walked at a faster pace upon hearing the explosion. It was the second one and he knew it came from Izumi's room. Several possibilities of what might be the cause entered his mind, one was as impossible as the first. But, never the less, he ordered a soldier he passed by to sound the alarm and to check on the other prisoners as well.

Soon, soldiers were running about while the sound of the alarm boomed over Lone Island.

Suddenly, Kouichi and Katsuharu appeared before him as he made his way up the long and winding staircase.

"It would appear that someone managed to sneak in and free the prisoners on the underground dungeon." Kouichi said. "The four chosen ones are gone along with the Commander and the General."

The Clone's eyes became filled with anger as he punched the wall. "Damn it… any idea where they could be?"

"No." Katsuharu replied. "But it appears like it was not one of the escapees who caused the explosion. The energy that I'm picking up is from Chiaki."

"Chiaki? What is that woman playing at?" The Clone asked as he allowed himself to be teleported by Katsuharu and Kouichi to the scene.

* * *

By the force of the second explosion, Takuya, Junpei and Kouji knew that they were heading at the right direction. And, with the rubble as well as the dust that had greeted them, they knew that they were already close.

"What's going on?" Takuya managed to ask.

"How should we know." Junpei answered as they made their way further in.

Just then, they heard the alarm ringing throughout the whole ruins.

"Well, there goes our cover." Kouji said. "We better hurry up. Even if we find Lady Izumi now, we'll have one hell of a time escaping this place."

Takuya knew at that point that time was already running out. If Izumi really was being kept somewhere around here, he knew that she must be dealing with something to have caused all this commotion. He knew that thanks to whatever was going on, it would be harder to find her than it already is.

"Guys, let out your Guardian Spirits." He said. "It would be easier to track her down with them than just with us."

Kouji and Junpei nodded and not long after that, they were already darting for a specific direction following Kouji's Spirit Guardian, Lumos and Junpei's Spirit Guardian, Spark.

* * *

Izumi and Chiaki both coughed and had their eyes closed as the dust settled in on the now-destroyed room. Izumi, despite having expected an explosion did not expect having been caught in it or that it would be that big. Whatever attack Chiaki had used was certainly powerful than the first.

It was Chiaki who managed to get back on her feet first. Seeing that Izumi was trapped, she moved towards her, a ball of water attack ready.

"Well, well… I guess you were trying to use me to escape." Chiaki said as she moved closer. "Too bad that didn't work."

Izumi coughed, and as she tried to move she realized that her left leg was being pinned down by one of the pillars that had toppled over thanks to the explosion. It was at that time that she also felt the pain from it and the fear that she will die suddenly come rushing towards her like an innevitable wave.

She struggled to pull her leg off from the debri as Chiaki moved, but the more she struggled, the more it hurts her. Kaizen had materialized and was ready to use and do everything to help save Izumi, the little Guardian Spirit knew that even if she tells her to use the Level 3 power, she would not be able to use it in her current condition.

* * *

They were almost there. Takuya could see the big pile of rubble and a busted wall on the right not too far from where they were. But just as they were about to get there, the Clone, Kouichi and Katsuharu appeared.

"You!" Both the clone and the original said as they came face to face with each other.

"Kouichi, can you see now? The Takuya you are working for is not the real Takuya, this one is!" Kouji said.

"I could so electrocute you right now for betraying us, Katsuharu!" Junpei said.

"How is it that you are still alive? You should be dead!" The clone said.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I can't die that easily. Besides, I won't allow myself to be defeated by the likes of you. Now, tell me why is it that I can feel Chiaki's energy which seemed to be fighting with Izumi?" Takuya retorted. "What did you order her to do?"

"I didn't order her anything." The clone replied. "But enough about that, let's finish this right here and right now!"

"Lord Takuya," Katsuharu said to the Clone. "Please, let us handle this. You have more important things to take care of… namely, handing the extracted 'spheres' to the King."

The clone, despite wanting to remain and fight as well could only nod. "Alright. Make sure to end this quickly, and bring Izumi to me."

And before they know it, the clone vanished.

"Hey!" Junpei shouted, "I was about to get that guy!"

"Like Sir Katsuharu had said, He has more important matters to attend to, we can't let you spoil everything for us now, can we?" Kouichi spoke.

"Then that would make things easier." Takuya said.

"That's something coming from someone who has nothing left in him." Katsuharu spoke.

Takuya smirked, and was about to take off his eyepatch when Kouji held him back.

"Takuya, leave this to us. Go to Izumi." Kouji said and Junpei nodded at this.

"We can handle these guys." Junpei said.

Takuya only nodded and with the speed that he was hiding everyone, he managed to dodge the Kouichi and Katsuharu, surprising them along the way.

* * *

Chiaki's smirked widened knowing that Izumi was almost at her limit and victory was hers for the taking. She raised her hand towards her and let her attack fly. But, just as the attack was about to hit her detestable enemy, something flew by and before she knew it, another explosion occurred and smoke once again filled the room.

When the smoke cleared, Chiaki was surprised to see who was kneeling with one knee on the ground near Izumi. His left eye was closed, his eyebrows furrowed and his auburn hair was even messier than she remembered. He wore the same armor that the deserters had wore and are still wearing – the armor of the Organization, and his eye showed how angry he was.

"Takuya…" Chiaki gasped.

Takuya did not answer her, but instead, while glaring at her, he asked Izumi, "Izumi, are you alright?"

Izumi was surprised to see him, even though she had called for him. She could feel the tears starting to fall from her eyes – tears of relief at his coming.

"My leg," she managed to say. "It's caught by this pillar."

This seemed to have alarmed him as he quickly turned around and looked at her with both of his eyes, then looked at the pillar that had fallen on her leg.

"Izumi, hold on…" He said, and with a small amount of power, he managed to destroy the pillar with not even an explosion to go along with it. He must have seen the questioning look that Izumi gave him as he immediately said, "That's one thing I learned while practicing with boulders."

With the pillar gone, Izumi tried to stand on her own, but failed. Takuya saw that she was having a hard time trying to stand up, and so he took her to his arms and carried her. All the while, Chiaki was watching.

"Let's go." Takuya said. "The others are fighting still, We'll take this time to get you someplace safe."

Izumi burried her face on his chest and nodded.

Just as they were about to get out of the room, Chiaki sent an attack flying, almost hitting them but missing by a short distance. Izumi was surprised, but Takuya did not show any emotion of surprise. His face was dead serious.

"I won't let you." Chiaki said. "I can't let you walk out of here with her."

Takuya did not face her, nor answered her. Instead, he spoke with Izumi. "I think I already know the answer to this, but just in case I'm still going to ask… Izumi, did she do this to you?"

Izumi nodded and answered 'Yes'.

Takuya then placed her down and she gave her a confused look as she asked, "Takuya, what are you--?"

"How could you do this?" He asked as he turned to face Chiaki. Her Crimson Eye burning with hatred and her auburn eye mirrored the same emotion. "I thought you were my friend – our friend. How could you hurt her?!"

Chiaki did not answer at once. She was surprised to see Takuya's left eye, but soon she managed to speak. "I did this all for you, Takuya. That person is not good enough for you. Do you know the sin that her father had committed and the sin that your father was also a part of?"

Takuya looked over at Izumi who spoke, "She says that it is because of my father that her brother became nothing more than a puppet. She said that her brother is also a Chosen One."

"Her father was the one who proposed to use my brother in exchange for her daughter's freedom… and the freedom of you and Kouichi as well." Chiaki finished.

"And this is you're revenge?" He asked. "It is neither my fault nor Izumi's fault at what had happened to your brother. Trying to hurt us… for your revenge… you're pitiful."

"I wasn't trying to hurt you, Takuya… I could never hurt you." Chiaki said, she could guess where all this was going. "I care about you too much to hurt you, I just know that she isn't good enough for you!"

"Not good enough?" Takuya asked, taken aback by her words. "And who are you to say that? I can't forgive you… for what you did and what you tried to do. I never thought it would end like this, Chiaki, I had always thought you were a good friend of mine… guess I was really wrong about that."

And with that, Takuya readied himself to fight.

* * *

The Clone immediately took into his hand the 'spheres' where they had placed the extracted samples of the other Chosen Ones' powers. He then took a small sack and placed the 'spheres' inside. All the while, the whole ruins were beginning to crumble.

After making sure that he had not forgotten anything, Takuya's Clone prepared himself to be teleported back to the Castle. Just as he was about to be teleported, a powerful explosion caused a glass container behind him to shatter. He immediately jumped out of the way, and soon afterwards vanished.

Unknown to him, something fell out of the sack when he was making his escape. That 'something' was a 'sphere' that had a lavender aura inside of it.

* * *

"Do you honestly believe that you can defeat us?" Katsuharu asked. "I know how far you two have come, but that isn't enough for this."

"So you say." Junpei retorted. "I can never understand why you would choose to side with them. I had really respected you… how foolish could I have been."

"Even if you would know the answer, you will never understand." Katsuharu replied. "This is something I chose, something I have to do."

"Then I guess the same thing goes for you as well, Kouichi?" Kouji asked.

"This… it is something that I deserve for what my grandfather had done." Kouichi replied. "All the lies, the deceit… this is where I truly belong and Takuya made me understand that."

"Don't you see you're just being used?" Kouji said as he dodged an attack that could have blown his brains out. "Whatever your grandfather did, let him face the consequences. You don't have to answer for whatever he has done. And is fighting against your friends really what you want to do?"

It would seem that Junpei and Katsuharu had been oblivious to whatever discussion the other two were having as the two continued to fight. Exchanging blows with their weapons and with their power as well. It was not only the Chosen Ones who were fighting but their Spirit Guardians as well. The foundations of the ruins were already giving way thanks to the power that was being released from all these people.

Kouichi then summoned monsters from a portal. They were the same kind of hideous and grotesque monsters that had attacked Shore.

As the monsters appear and Kouji's jaw dropped, Kouichi spoke, "Now, do you see… Someone who can control these creatures from the abyss… is never meant to find and walk in the same light as you people. The truth that I've found… it's the truth that allowed me to see things more clearly."

Kouji was not about to give up yet. He has yet to fail in his mission and retrieving Kouichi was, and still is, a part of his current mission.

"Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real that when you woke up you didn't know what to believe?" Kouji suddenly asked as he eased his defenses. "Questions like: What would you do if what you thought was true wasn't, and what you thought wasn't true was. I guess, right now, you're in a dream, Kouichi."

"What are you talking about?" the other asked as another explosion occurred from the room that Takuya had went in to and another one followed, this time by Junpei who managed to make a direct hit with one of his attacks to Katsuharu.

"Bull's Eye!" Junpei shouted.

Kouji didn't care to look at his comrade and how well he was doing. He was focused on Kouichi as he continued, "But the choice you made, you chose to retreat into your dream and hoped to find a more perfect reality in it… something to drown away the truth, whatever it is, that you have learned. You chose to be a coward. You became so afraid of life… the strangeness of it all."

"How would you know!" Kouichi shouted as he made one of his monsters attack Kouji, but Kouji managed to fell it with one swift motion of his sword. Kouji saw the wavering resolution that the monsters have and guessed hat Kouichi must be feeling that as well. "You would know nothing about darkness, about my power!"

"Don't you see yet, Kouichi?" Kouji continued on, the shouts calling for evacuation echoed from below. "Sometimes, life is stranger than a dream, but you have to wake up from the dream no matter what life may have instilled for you. The only way you can truly wake up, is to face what lies hidden in your soul. I don't believe that these monsters are the materialization of your true power. I know what kind of person you really are, but because you hate your power, you allow that power to materialize into something monstrous. Everyone has darkness in them, Kouichi. Everyone reflects the darkness in their souls at one point or another and everyone can only hope that in those moments of dark reflection, that they are not alone. You're not alone, Kouichi. Can't you see? We came here for you. You have us, your friends!"

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" Kouichi screamed before a puff of smoke took him away and he vanished from the scene leaving Kouji to only mutter his name…

"Kouichi…"

* * *

Izumi saw how serious Takuya was, and for the first time, she and Chiaki saw to what extent Takuya had managed to regain his power. She could guess that he was halfway in regaining his full-strength... if such a thing was possible.

Chiaki was trying her best to dodge his attacks of fury while letting out her own barrage of attacks. She didn't want to kill Takuya, and so with every chance she would get, she would target Izumi, hoping that the attack would get her. Unfortunately for her, Takuya seemed to be able to read her movements and would always come in between her attack and Izumi. This frustrated her.

Just then, they heard sirens. These sirens were much different than the alarm that was sounded before and with the sirens came the announcement for evacuation saying that the ruins would not hold up much longer.

Chiaki knew how far up they were, and new that there was no time to lose. And so summoning her powers, she teleported away leaving Izumi and Takuya at the crumbling tower.

But before she did, she spoke. "I guess I have no choice, I'll let you both be buried alive in this place. And if you do manage to escape, you will rue this day, Takuya, that you chose her over me."

* * *

Teppei could not help but laugh at their luck as he saw the "boat" that Takuya had brought.

"That idiot," he said. "I can't believe he got his hands on this baby."

"Is it bad?" Tomoki asked as he let General Kimura sit down.

"No, it's all good." Teppei replied. "We're really lucky that he brought this one."

Tomoki peeked inside the boat and saw one problem. "But, we won't be able to fit inside."

Teppei grinned. "That's what you think… and I bet Takuya also thought of that. But you see, this baby is one of the latest models that the Organization has. It's called an Omni-Craft."

"A what?" Tomoki asked yet again.

Just when Teppei was about to explain, they heard the announcement for evacuation.

"Well, just get in and help me get these old men in as well. You'll see what I mean once we get this thing going." Teppei said as he went over to Commander Orimoto and helped him inside the "boat".

Tomoki nodded, although unsure, he too also helped the General on his feet and into the vehicle. Once they were all cramped inside, Teppei went and took his seat by the steering wheel. Once seated he pushed a button that was hidden at the steering wheel.

The moment he pushed the button, the interior of the ship changed and the cramped space vanished and transformed into a wide room. The exterior of the Omni-Craft also transformed. The roar of the ship's motor changed from a boat's to a high-pitched sound that could only come from flying ships.

"No… way…" Tomoki gasped.

Teppei grinned. "Takuya did not know of this, otherwise, he would have been here earlier and we wouldn't have to go through that painful experience. Anyway, let's go and get the others."

And with that the airship zoomed into the direction of the tower.

* * *

Takuya felt the ground wobbling and he knew that Izumi could feel it as well. His mind raced for a way to escape as Junpei and Kouji came into the room.

"Did you guys get them?" Takuya asked as he once again carried Izumi in his arms.

"No, they got away." Koichi said remembering that he made Junpei check the rubble where Katsuharu was supposed to have been buried in and found nothing. "Even Kouichi ran away."

Junpei saw the state that Izumi was in and asked, "Lady Izumi, what happened to you?"

"She, Chiaki, decided that she wanted to eradicate me." Izumi replied. "And she would have succeeded if Takuya hadn't come along and interfered."

It was also then that they – Kouji and Junpei, noticed Takuya's eye.

"I'll explain later." Takuya said before they could question him about it. "For now, we need to escape, and fast."

Everyone nodded at this as they heard a deafening sound that could only mean something, somewhere had collapsed. Just as they were about to exit the room, the three other pillars supporting that part of the room also fell, blocking the exit and completely sealing them in with only the other side of the room – the one that had been destroyed first by Chiaki's attack, as their only exit. The problem was, they were several feet high above with nowhere to jump into and the possibility that they could jump and survive was just that – impossible.

"Now what?" Junpei asked. "I don't supposed you prepared for something like this, Lord Takuya."

Takuya shook his head. "How would I have known that you guys would have been kept separately? I could have been told of this sooner, Izumi."

"Yes, I think I should have done that and maybe you could have warned me of a psychopath named, Chiaki." She retorted.

"Hey! I didn't know she was like that." Takuya said.

"Alright, you two. We've all just be reunited and this clearly isn't the time for this." Kouji broke the argument, although he knew that the two were only just trying to let the tension subside.

Just as they thought that nothing else could possibly go wrong, the ground in which they were standing suddenly began to crack, letting out hissing sounds. Their time was obviously up.

As they were about to give up hope, they heard a different kind of sound as the wind coming from the destroyed wall began to blow stronger.

"What--?"

But even before Junpei could finish his question, the answer to everyone's question at that moment came into view as Tomoki waved at them from inside the Omni-Craft.

Teppei's voice then boomed from it, amplified by some sort of device saying, "Everyone, jump in quickly!"

"But my father and General Kimura!" Izumi shouted.

"Don't worry about them," Came Teppei's voice. "They're safe, we got them already."

Knowing that, everyone did not need to be told twice to get onboard the vehicle that Teppei had obviously found. The opening and the Omni-Craft was separated by a short distance that they needed to jump in order to board the vehicle. They were all ready to take that risk of jumping it rather than staying on the now-collapsing tower. Junpei was the first one who jumped and managed to land safely on the deck of the vehicle and Kouji soon followed.

As Takuya, with Izumi in his arms, was about to make a jump, the ground they were stepping on suddenly gave way. Takuya had to jump back just so they would not be caught by the collapse. But that 

did not help as the ground they landed on also began to crumble. Debris began falling making it even harder to navigate.

"Takuya! Izumi!" Tomoki shouted as he saw what was going on. "Can't you get this thing closer to them?"

"I would if I could, but with that much debris, there's nothing else I could do." Teppei said, sweat was forming on his brow as he tried to navigate better despite the debris that was also trying to "bring the hawk down".

"Takuya, what are we going to do?" Izumi asked, as she did so, Takuya saw the fear in her eyes. Who could blame her, after all.

Takuya gritted his teeth. This certainly was not how he planned his rescue mission to be. Sweat was also forming in his brow and his heart was pounding like it was about to burst from his chest.

"We don't have a choice, we have to jump over there." Takuya said, rather unsure of it himself.

Izumi looked at him with hopeful eyes full of expectation, as if expecting him to say any other kind of plan to do just that. So, she was rather taken aback when instead of a plan, Takuya said: "Izumi, just in case… I just want you to know…"

She could guess where it was going and she placed a finger on his lips before he could say anymore and said, "Takuya, don't… we'll make it. I believe in you."

And with that, she gave him a light kiss on the lips. Takuya was surprised at the gesture, then Izumi added, "That's for good luck."

"Yeah, we could both use that." Takuya muttered as he readied himself.

He then started to run, as fast as his feet would carry him. Izumi could not bear to look, burying her head on Takuya's chest as Takuya dodged and ducked away from anything that might hit them. Jumping on to some of them as they made their way to the vehicle where everyone had their breaths held hoping that the two would make it.

"Hold on." Takuya whispered to Izumi.

And with a shout, Takuya jumped. Izumi, whose arms were wrapped around Takuya's neck closed her eyes even tighter as she prayed that they would make it.

It was either because of the powerful gust created by the Omni-Craft, or maybe because Takuya's starting run was not enough, but soon, Takuya found that they would not make it. With whatever strength was left of his arms, and with the hope of keeping Izumi safe, Takuya whispered the words "Izumi, Fly!" into Izumi's ears before he threw here over to the deck where Kouji and Junpei were waiting with their arms extended for the two of them.

"No! Takuya!" Izumi shouted as Kouji and Junpei managed to catch her and bring her into the deck.

Takuya was falling fast as he frantically hoped that whatever he had on his mind would work. He closed his eyes and placed his hands together as if praying. He could feel it was working as he felt something hot in his back. He could only hope that he would make it before he hits the ground, after all, this was the first time he was going to really try using it.

"Come on… come on." His consciousness continually nagged him as he was falling. "Let me just call on my 'wings' this once."

But he was falling too fast.

"Kaizen, we have to help him!" Izumi spoke to her Spirit Guardian telepathically.

"I know how you feel, Izumi, but you don't have much energy left… it could damage you to even force to control the wind around here." Kaizen replied.

"I don't care." Was Izumi's stubborn reply. "I don't care what happens to me, just… save Takuya."

Silence was Kaizen's answer. Time was already ticking, and Izumi could no longer care if her Spirit Guardian were to give her a 'Go' signal or not. So, with what she could do on her own, Izumi stretched her arms into Takuya's direction and ordered the wind around him to allow him to levitate.

Teppei tried to force the Omni-Craft to travel faster, hoping to get underneath or even closer to Takuya amidst the falling debris. But it was useless, parts of the tower were falling too many, too big, and too fast.

Kouji and Junpei saw what she was doing, and the stress it was putting on her.

"Lady Izumi, what are you doing?" Junpei asked.

"Saving Takuya, of course." Was her reply in between laboring breaths.

Kouji could sense that her Spiritual Energy was already low, and whatever plans she might have, would not work with her doing the work alone. It was then that he remembered something that the Clone had said.

_"It wouldn't have hurt that much if you people would have only lent your power willingly, transferred it willingly into that machine like how you could do with others."_

"That's it!" An idea came into his head. It was a long-shot, but they could take whatever chances they have. And so, Kouji moved towards Izumi and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Kouji, what are you…?"

Kouji, closed his eyes and focused, allowing his Spirit Energy to travel into Izumi and Izumi felt a renewed strength and partly understood what the Vice-Commander was doing. Junpei also saw it and decided to do the same. It was as if someone was instructing them what to do.

With the new strength she received from the two knights, Izumi's power began to work and Takuya felt as the others saw that he was slowing down.

"Kaizen, I still need your help. I can't do this alone." Izumi thought, a thought that traversed into the Spirit Guardian's own consciousness.

The words of Takuya once again entered Kaizen's mind as she saw how foolish she might have acted as a Spirit Guardian, and so, she helped Izumi by amplifying her power, allowing Takuya's fall to completely stop.

"What's going on?" Takuya wondered, and as she looked up she saw Izumi and understood that it was her doing. Allowing himself to relax, the burning on his back subsided.

"Teppei, what are you waiting for. Get Takuya." Kouji shouted as he continued to supply Izumi with Spiritual Energy.

"Aye, aye." Teppei's voice boomed over the Omni-Craft's speakers.

Soon, Takuya found himself being moved closer to the Omni-Craft and landing safely on the deck of the said vehicle. As soon as he landed, Kouji and Junpei both collapsed, exhausted. Even as Izumi was exhausted herself, she still managed to run towards Takuya to greet him with a hug, burying her head once again on his chest.

"Don't ever do that again." She managed to say in between sobs.

"Sorry." Was all he could say as he hugged her back.

* * *

_There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroad, afraid, confused, without a roadmap. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. Of course, when faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back._

Chiaki cursed as she fumed with anger, clutching her wounded arm and limping as she made her way into her room in the castle. She was confused. She could not help but wonder why Takuya would choose Izumi over her.

She wondered if saving him was not enough. She wondered if being with him during his loneliest times was not enough. She wondered if it was because of Izumi's status and of her beauty which is why she was chosen by Takuya. Whatever the answer was, she knew that she wasn't enough for the 'real' Takuya.

"If I can't have the real one, then I'll have to settle with the Clone." She thought to herself. "And, I have just the news that would gain his favor… and maybe I can make him hate Izumi as well."

A smile was plastered now on her face. She had faced it first-hand, Takuya's re-awakened power. It wasn't much compared to the power that the Clone now possessed, and she knew what the Clone would do once he hears that the 'real' one is still alive and has some power left in him. He would certainly come after the 'real' Takuya and try to once again take everything away from him… including his life.

Yes, she still wanted revenge to Izumi. And she had vowed to get that revenge even if it means killing the 'real' Takuya.

"Yes, Izumi will feel remorse…" She spoke. "…one way or another."

* * *

_But once in a while, people push on to something better. Something found just beyond the pain of going or doing it alone and just beyond the bravery and the courage it takes to let someone in. Or to give someone a second chance. Something beyond the quiet persistence of a dream._

Katsuharu sighed as he was brought to face the King.

"I have heard, that you have returned." The King spoke, his eyes never leaving Katsuharu. "It is good to have you back… my son."

"Don't call me that!" Katsuharu shouted. He did not care about the looks those present were giving him. His eyes only rested on the vacant seat that was supposed to belong to the Queen. "I didn't come back here for you, nor do I help you because I want to."

The King followed his gaze. "Do not worry, my son… nothing will happen to the Queen… that is, if you continue to obey me."

Katsuharu closed his eyes as he gritted his teeth. He didn't want to hurt his friends and the people whom he had called his companions… but he didn't have any choice.

"That is much better." The King continued to speak. "Now, why don't you report to me everything you have found about the Organization, the Chosen Ones, and everything else that might help."

He had no choice. To save his mother, the Queen, he had to do as he was told – even it meant betraying everything he stood for and cared about… everything his mother stood for and cared about. And so, with a heavy heart, he gave the King the information he wanted. As he did so, he could not help but wonder what had happened to his once loving father.

* * *

_Because it's only when you're tested, that you truly discover who you are. And it's only when you're tested that you discover who you can be. The person that you want to be does exist, somewhere in the other side of hard work, and faith, and belief, and beyond the heartache and fear of what life has._

Kouichi watched as the flying vehicle zoomed out of the Lone Islands. He knew, as much as he felt, that the others had managed to escape and all are unarmed. What's more, he had also learned of something as he watched the events of their escape unfold not to far from the scene. He had learned that Takuya still had "something" left in him.

He followed the vehicle's course with his eyes that had somehow regained life in them, albeit only a small bit of it. The voice of Kouji and his words still ringing in his ears. He wondered if what the Vice Commander had said is true, or was it only a front to get him to go back with them. He wanted answers, answers that he didn't know where to find.

He wondered if Kouji could be able to answer his questions. He felt like he could not go back and follow them… not yet at least, and so, with one last look at the disappearing vehicle over the horizon, Kouichi let out a sigh before teleporting himself to the Frontiria's Castle, thinking that for now, that place was what he calls home. But even as he looked at the room which had been given to him to stay in, he vowed to find the answers to his heart's questions.

* * *

_There comes a time when every life goes off course. In this desperate moment, who will you be? Will you let down your defenses and find solace in someone unexpected? Will you reach out? Will you face your greatest fears bravely or move forward with faith? Or will you succumb to the darkness in your soul?_

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, that's about all for this chapter. The next chapter would conclude this short, albeit intense arc, so be sure to stay tuned for that.

Anyways, I have to give myself a pat on the back with those last set of italicized paragraphs. I really do love reading that part over and over and over and over… you get the picture. I have to say that I am quite happy with how this chapter turned out over-all, and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as well.

I'm planning on drawing and uploading a scene for the final chapter of the whole fanfic, but of course, you guys would see it once the whole fanfic is finished (and once I get my hands on a Pen Tablet since I do not have a scanner with me). I have already planned that particular picture in mind, and it would be my first 'FanArt' featuring Takuya and Izumi from this fanfic. Anyways, that's still a long ways from here, and I might end up using that picture for the Rabbit on the Moon game that I am working on now.

Well, with all that said, I hope to hear from you guys soon! Leave a review, okay?

This is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Take Care, everyone!

**End of Author's Notes**


	40. Suddenly Everything Has Changed

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, I know I am pretty much delayed in the updates department and I really apologize for that since it has really been busy over here and I am having extreme problems with my thesis (darn it!). However, despite the unstoppable flow of time and the incoming exams week, I finally managed to get this chapter done. I have to say that out of all the chapters that I have written for this particular fanfic, this chapter is perhaps the only chapter that has undergone several revisions to the setting and the flow. Although I revised this a couple of times, the main idea of the chapter did not change at all – which is a good thing!

Anyways, before I allow you all to continue reading, I would just remind everyone of our on-going poll (which can be found on my profile, so check it out afterwards), those who haven't voted yet, please do so as the poll would end on the last day of July.

Well, that's about it for the Pre-Chapter Author's Note. I'll add more information on the Post Author's Note. So, read on, everyone!

**End of Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Suddenly Everything Has Changed**

* * *

_All things in this world are impermanent. All things change because of time. They have the nature to rise and pass away. To be in harmony with this truth brings true happiness. However, it is not time which really changes things. Time is but a small driving force, what really changes things are human actions – what we do, what we do not do. To know what really causes change...how many people really know that?_

* * *

Takuya sighed as he rubbed his sore cheek. He should have guessed that something like that would happen, but when the inevitable did occur, there was nothing he could do. He knew, the moment that he learned that Izumi's father was alright, that everything would change… and apparently, a change was coming.

He didn't know how he could tell – maybe it was his gut feeling or maybe he managed to analyze the recent events and concluded from there. But for whatever reason, his mind had began to give him warnings.

Another sigh escaped his lips as he remembered what took place on the Omni-Craft's deck.

* * *

_The Omni-Craft flew in the horizon, speeding through the skies at first, thinking that someone might be after the passengers but after learning that no person with evil intent were following them, slowed down. Everyone on board felt the same thing or thought of it – they have had enough excitement for the evening._

_Throughout the ride, Takuya held Izumi in his arms. Both finding comfort in the other. Their companions who were on the deck as they were, were simply not minding them or were too tired to mind what was going on. Most, if not all of them, were still out of breath after what had happened._

_No one spoke for a while until someone called from behind the two youths. It was the voice that Izumi thought she would never hear again… a voice, which at that moment, sounded like music to her ears._

_"Izumi?" Came an old and weary voice as the Commander emerged from the room from where he was placed._

_At the sound of her father's voice, Izumi turned around. At the sight of her father, she broke her embrace with Takuya and limped to her father's arms. At that point, tears started streaming down her already dirty face. It was tears filled with relief and happiness._

_Takuya, on the other hand, froze on the spot. Sweat started to form on his brow. He was sure that the Commander had seen his daughter hugging him, and for that, he was worried of what Izumi's father would think._

_It took a while before Commander Orimoto let go of his daughter, and looked lovingly at her saying, "I was so worried when our captors started talking about how they have captured you and everyone else…"_

_Izumi smiled, tears of joy at the reunion still falling from her eyes. "I was more worried of you, father, than I was of my self. I had thought that I would never see you again. I missed you so much…"_

_Takuya, albeit worried and scared for his sake, could not help but smile at the reunion. Although he was happy for Izumi, a pang of jealousy erupted from deep within him. He was jealous of how much Izumi was loved by her father and he could not help but wish that he could also feel a parent's love – it was a wish that he knew was impossible now._

_When Commander Orimoto's eyes started to trail around his surroundings, and when he caught sight of Takuya, the happy and loving gaze that he had was suddenly transformed to that filled with hatred and anger. Without warning, he dashed towards Takuya and seized him by the neck._

_"Father!" Shouted Izumi as she, despite the pain that she was feeling on her wounded leg, limped towards him. "Stop!"_

_With a glare that could freeze the deepest parts of hell, the Commander spoke: "I will not stop!" His voice rising as he gripped Takuya's neck even tighter making it harder for the young Kanbara to breathe. "This man tortured General Kimura, ordered to lock me up, and what's more, boasted about having captured you!"_

_Junpei and Kouji, after getting past the surprise at their Commander's actions, then went towards Takuya and tried to help him and to break the death grip that their superior had on him. This surprised the Commander, who asked, "Sir Kouji, Sir Junpei, what do you think you two are both doing?"_

_"We cannot allow you to pass judgment on the wrong person, Lord Orimoto." It was Kouji who spoke. "The person who did all of those things you mentioned, and this person whom you are assaulting are not one and the same."_

_"What did you say?" Commander Orimoto asked, confused._

_"Father! Please! Let Takuya go!" Izumi pleaded. When her father saw the look she was giving him and the indignation of his subordinates on what he was doing, he let the young man in question go. Takuya wheezed and coughed as he tried to regain his breathing, stumbling back as he did so._

_Izumi went to him with a worried look on her face, a look that did not disappear even when Takuya assured her that he would be alright._

_"Commander, it may come as a surprise coming from me, but you have to understand everyone on board this vessel trusts Takuya with our lives, after all, it was because of him why we are all free right now." Junpei spoke as he stood between the Commander and the young Kanbara. "You may not trust him nor believe in what he would say because of that other Takuya who had done all that you have just said and also because he is the son of the person who had caused you a great deal of remorse, but please… for now, give him the benefit of the doubt. If you would not believe us or think that we are being manipulated by the person before you, then perhaps you would listen to the Leader of the Organization who had taken good care of us… and whom you had asked us to meet."_

_The Commander did not speak as he sized up the young Kanbara. Takuya could swear, as he continued to stabilize his breathing, that he could feel the intensity of the gaze that was being directed at him._

_To break the silence and the tension that was building on deck, Izumi spoke: "Father, please… I trust Takuya. He saved my life many times already, and he saved everyone else's life including yours and the General, Kimura. If he hadn't come, who knows what would have become of us…"_

_"We do not wish to go against you, Commander." Kouji also spoke as he went in front of his superior, "but, we will stand by him if we have to."_

_Junpei nodded at what Kouji had said._

_"Vice Commander Minamoto, Lord Shibayama… step aside." The Commander spoke in a tone that showed it was not a request but an order. When both men did not move, he repeated, "Vice Commander Minamoto, Lord Shibayama… step aside… NOW!" and he pushed them both aside. It was a bold move and a surprising one as well._

_With the path cleared, the Commander moved closer. When he was near Takuya, it was Izumi's turn to step up, but Takuya stopped her even before she could fully do so saying that it was alright and also because he had seen how Izumi was finding it hard to move about._

_Being face to face with the son of the person who had caused him so much pain and suffering, Izumi's father could not help but have all of his anger build up even more inside of him. Takuya did not _

_know what to anticipate any longer, so he just stood there, staring back at the anger-filled eyes of the older Orimoto. It was because of that why he did not know how to react when Commander Orimoto's fist collided with his left cheek with so much force that it sent him stumbling back and landing on his bottom._

_"That," the Commander spoke… or rather growled, "would not even come close to what would happen if you prove to be the person who I believe you are."_

_And with that, the Commander walked off, returning to his cabin._

* * *

Even with the ice-pack on his sore, left cheek, Takuya could still feel the swelling. It was such a surprise that for someone who was as hold as the Commander to have such a powerful punch still left in him.

"Well, I guess I can't really say that I'm fully surprised of his power." Takuya thought to himself as he lay on his bed with the ice-pack pressed on his cheek. "I had heard of stories about him… now I understand why, despite Izumi's beauty, she doesn't have that much suitors…"

He was cut off from his thoughts when a knock erupted from the door of his room. Wondering who could be visiting him in such an hour, Takuya rose up from his bed and went to answer the door. When he did open the wooden doors of his room, he was surprised to see Izumi on a pair of crutches standing outside of his room.

"I-Izumi!" Said the surprised Takuya. "What are you doing here?! Shouldn't you be in your room resting?"

"You can't really expect me to fall asleep that easily after everything that has happened, do you?" Izumi replied as she proceeded to enter Takuya's room after being invited in.

"I guess not…" Takuya muttered loud enough for both of them to hear as he closed the door. "I'm sorry, I should be the one visiting you, not the other way around… You're the one who's injured after all…"

"I should be apologizing as well for suddenly coming over without notice." Izumi said as she sat down by the chair near Takuya's bed, the same chair which she had sat on while watching over him when he was recuperating. "I just wanted someone to talk to and Kaizen is proving not to be of any help at the moment."

Takuya could not help but laugh at what Izumi had just said concerning her Spirit Guardian. But his laughter was only short lived as the he sat down beside her and asked, "What is it you want to talk about then?"

"It's about my father and what happened on deck." Izumi answered. "I'm sorry about that. I should have known that he would act the way he did…"

"Well, that's pretty much expected of him." Takuya replied shrugging what had happened off, even though deep inside he was still worried. "Anyway, speaking of your father, does he know that you're with me right now?"

Izumi could only laugh nervously at his question which earned her a sigh from him.

"You may act tough about all of this, but you are afraid of him now, aren't you, Takuya?" Izumi said. "You don't have to worry about tonight… when that woman talks with him, he will come to understand that you are not the same person as the one who took him."

Takuya smiled, then to lighten up the mood, he voiced out his thoughts of earlier on. "Now I understand why I haven't heard of any of your suitors… they must be quite scared of your father."

"If you think that what had happened earlier today was scary, then you surely have not heard about the other things of which he is quite famous of." Izumi said of which Takuya replied, "I would think that it is better not to know of those things… you're not trying to scare me away by using your father now, are you?"

Laughter once again erupted from between the two. However, despite the sound of their laughter, Takuya was at a lost on whether to ask her about the kiss or not. He wondered if doing so would be such big a risk at the moment.

He was snapped from his thoughts when he heard Izumi sigh. He looked up at her and saw that her head was bent low and so he asked, "Izumi, is there something wrong?"

"Not really." Izumi replied which earned him a look from Takuya that says he wasn't buying it. She then added, "It's just that, somehow, I feel that all that hard work and training that I did was just a waste of time. In the end I couldn't even defend myself… especially during that fight with Chiaki."

"You shouldn't think like that, Izumi." Takuya said as he looked up at the ceiling. "You were just shaken by what had happened so far. Besides, even I had a hard time dealing with her in that psychopathic rage that she had."

"Yeah, something she has because of her intense feelings for you." Izumi added with a playful note on her voice.

Takuya could only shudder at what Izumi had said. "It's not like I didn't made it clear of whom I have feelings for with her. I was always going on and on about you, you know. Besides, that's not even the point of this conversation, is it? What I was trying to say to you was that if you managed to stand your ground against her in that condition, then I'd say your training did pay off."

"Then I guess the reason why I managed to get this stupid injury is because of my clumsiness then."

Takuya thought for a couple of seconds before nodding and said, "Well, you were always a klutz even when we were young."

"Takuya!" Izumi pouted before both started laughing once again. When the laughter subsided, Izumi added, "Do you think they found anything back at that place?"

Her question made Takuya remember of what had happened earlier on when they finally landed on the vicinity of the Organization's mansion.

* * *

_Throughout the whole journey back, after what had happened with Takuya and Izumi's father, Takuya had made sure to stay our of the Commander's way. He was not up to having to spar with the older Orimoto for he knew what the outcome of that would be._

_It took a few more hours before the Omni-Craft finally landed on Shore. Takuya could see from where he was standing on the deck how the remaining members of the Organization were scrambling about, probably making preparations for their return and probably looking for the Leader to report on their return at the same time._

_At the thought of the Leader, Takuya still could not fathom the reason why she helped him during his escape and even ensured that he had everything he needed inside the Omni-Craft. He made a mental note to ask her of this as soon as he finds the opportunity to do so._

_A few more minutes after the Commander and General were shown to their rooms, Takuya and the others with him found themselves facing the Leader, with the exception of Izumi who had been brought to the medical facility where her injuries were being taken care of._

_"You all had me worried so much." The Leader spoke, her eyes and the tone of her voice were all filled with weary. "Especially when I heard about Chiaki and Katsuharu."_

_At the mention of the two traitors, everyone stiffened._

_"This is not the time to talk about them or their background, however." The Leader went on, her facial expression reverting to the serious one that they all know so well. "Report."_

_It was Teppei who nodded and who spoke recounting all the events that took place up to the point that they were captured and of the extraction process that they all underwent. He didn't went to the specific details of the process, for Teppei knew each of them experienced different things and heard of different things under the watchful gaze of their captors._

_At the mention of the extraction process, the Leader seemed to have expected it for she showed no sign of surprise._

_When Teppei had finished his part of the story, it was Takuya who stepped up and added what he had seen, heard and experienced during his solo rescue mission. When everything was said and reported, silence filled the room for a short while as the Leader thought of the necessary actions to be implemented._

_"Then I take it, base from what you have told me, that the collapse and the destruction of their fortress was not planned in any way and that there is no way they could have evacuated everyone and everything in time?" The Leader asked._

_"Yes." Teppei replied._

_The Leader turned around and spoke, "There is nothing we can do about what had happened with the extraction and all. We can be certain that the King and his scientists would probably have started making clones of each one of you as he had done so with Takuya. We can only prepare for what is to come and, if what you say is true about the suddenness of the destruction of their fortress then we could hope to find evidences of what they could be planning back there."_

_"So, we're going back then?" Takuya asked. His voice suggested that, like always, he was against the idea._

_"I would not be sending any of you back there or in any missions for the time being, Takuya." The Leader answered, it was something that Takuya had not expected. "I would send a different group in. You all have undergone so much in the past twenty-four hours, you all deserve some rest."_

_Everyone nodded at this, and soon after, the Leader dismissed them. Everyone then began to pack out of the room except for Takuya who remained._

_"Is there anything else you want to say, Takuya?" The Leader asked, the weariness of her voice creeping back._

_"Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you." Takuya replied. The Leader looked at him which was a sign that she was listening, and so he went on, "I understand that you were as worried _

_about them as I was but, I couldn't help wondering why, after locking me up and all of that, you would just allow me to rescue them."_

_"Would you have stopped and reconsidered your actions if I had stopped you?" The Leader returned the question and Takuya stated his obvious answer. The Leader then continued, "Then I would say it was quite pointless to stand in your way… I had figured you managed to regain some of your powers – enough to help you escape, and so I knew that even if I called for all of my men to stop you it we would not be able to do so. You are stubborn, something that I know you got from your father."_

_"Why do you know so much about my father?" Takuya asked remembering the letter that the Leader had written for him. "Were you an acquaintance of his?"_

_The Leader turned her back on him again and replied, "You can say that… but, I only know so much about the person he was than the person he is now."_

_"How did you come to know him then?" Takuya's questions came one after the other._

_The Leader merely laughed at the barrage of questions she was receiving but, instead of answering his query, she said, "That's enough of the questions for now, Lord Takuya… you are as shaken as the rest of them, I suggest you rest both your mind and your body. There's a lot to be done after you all have regained enough of your stamina."_

_And with that came the end of the conversation. Takuya did not bother to press anything on further and so he went out of the Leader's Study and made his way to the Medical Facility where Izumi was._

_Once he was there, he saw Izumi sitting comfortably on the bed, her wounded leg all bandaged up and a pair of crutches lay near her bed._

_She smiled when she saw him and asked, "So, how did it go?"_

_Takuya shrugged, "Well, the Leader wasn't a bit surprised about all of you having to undergo that extraction process… she did, however, say that she was going to send a team over to the wreckage in hopes of finding any clues about what the King may be planning. Anyway, how are you doing?"_

_"Apart from the itching and the fact that it's a pain to walk around, I would say I'm doing good." Izumi replied. "I could have easily healed this injury if I hadn't depleted my energy."_

_"Sorry," Takuya found himself apologizing for the umpth time. "you didn't need to have drained yourself like that in saving me from that fall."_

_"I know." Izumi replied. "But I did anyway… so now, we're even."_

* * *

"Who knows." Takuya finally gave his answer. "Even if they do find something, it would still be a question of whether that something holds valuable information or not."

"I'm worried." Izumi voiced out. "Now that they can clone each one of us, they would probably go after our powers next… much like how your clone went after you and took your eye. It's the only thing that they would need now for the King's plan to come into fruition."

Takuya still hated the memory and even the mention of it. "Then we'll have to make sure that they don't get what it is they need."

Izumi sighed as she wondered and asked, "I have no idea what the basis for your confidence is."

Takuya could only grin at her before silence once again settled in the room.

It was already getting late and Takuya knew that if he was going to ask her that nagging question in the back of his head, he would have to do so now for he does not know when another opportunity will arise.

"Izumi?" Takuya finally broke the silence. "You remember what I always told you in _that_ place, right? About how I don't mind waiting for your answer…"

Izumi nodded, she could feel where this conversation was heading.

"I just thought, that time, when I was about to make that jump and even when I was falling… I thought 'what if this would be the end for me?'. Even though I may not have showed it, I was really scared." Takuya admitted. "It may sound like I'm forcing you, Izumi… but I just don't want to feel regret over this… over us… that's why…"

Izumi gave him a small smile and replied, "I understand, Takuya. You don't have to say anything more."

It took a while before what Izumi said registered to his mind and he did not bother to hide his surprise when he asked, "You do?"

Izumi nodded. "After what had almost happened, I feel like I understand things a bit clearly now. All of us are guilty of thinking that we have all the time in the world, and just when we're about to live life, before we know it, there is no time left for us. You're right, Takuya."

Takuya did not say anything, he was waiting for the answer that Izumi would be giving him. He just looked at her quietly as she contemplated on what to say.

It seemed like forever for Takuya before Izumi spoke, even though only minutes have passed since she last said anything. But when Takuya heard her answer, he felt that it was worth the wait.

* * *

It was almost midnight, but even so, the Leader of the Organization was still in her study awaiting for any word concerning the investigation on the Lone Islands. It didn't matter for her what the team she had sent would find as long as they find something – any clue at all, or even maybe the wreckage of the machine that was used for the extraction process. However, the latter, despite trying to think positively, seems impossible for them to find.

She knew what time it was already, that is why she was surprised when a knock suddenly erupted from the door to her office. Even though she was not in any mood for a talk, she knew that communicating and answering to whomever was calling was part of her responsibilities as the leader of the renegade organization and so she said, "Come in."

She had expected that it would be one of her men who were asking for a raise or giving word on what was going on with the investigation. That was why, one could imagine the look of surprise on her face when she saw Commander Orimoto enter.

"Commander Orimoto, it's a surprise to see you visiting at such a late hour." The Leader spoke. "What brings you here?"

"There is no need for formalities between old friends, Yuriko." The Commander said.

"I see that you still think of me as a friend, Ishige… even though…"

"It is not you who had done us wrong." The Commander cut her midway. "Still, I should have figured out the reason why _he_ is being protected by your people."

"By 'he', you mean Takuya?" The Leader, Yuriko said.

Commander Orimoto nodded. "Even my subordinates and my daughter went to lengths in stopping me earlier on today while the ship made its way here."

"Do not tell me that you fought with him." The Leader was now looking at the other man in disbelief.

"I did not fight with him, but I did end up punching him in the face." Ishige Orimoto admitted. "You should have told me about his clone or even about the fact that he is still alive."

"Would it have changed anything?" Came the question.

"You have a point there." Was his reply. "He holds so much similarities with his father, that even though I know of all the things he had done for my daughter and of the things I know about him since he was young, I could not help but hate him and not accept him."

"Yes, he does hold great resemblance with Hiroaki." She agreed. "However, their resemblance right now could only go as far as how they look and in terms of their stubbornness…"

"Are you sure that that is all they have in common?" Ishige asked. It was as if he knew that there was something more and he did not bother to hide it. "I know you can see past that, Yuriko. And I can sense that you are also trying to not take notice of even greater similarities between the two but unlike you, I intend to take notice of them."

"Are you going to go against your daughter's happiness then?" She asks. "Are you going to break them both apart? If you think that by breaking your daughter's heart you are protecting her, then you are gravely mistaken. Do you not think that you have done a fair amount of mistakes already – mistakes that your daughter and her friends are already paying for?"

"You say that because you are…"

"It is not about who I am, Ishige." The Leader said sternly. "That does not matter. Do not think for one moment that I am biased on this matter. Right now, I am the Leader of the Organization, and nothing more."

The Commander looked back at her stern face and sighed. "Even through the years, you perhaps are the one who didn't change."

"Just because everything's changing doesn't mean that it has not always been this way before." Was the answer the Leader gave to the Commander.

"I tell you this, Yuriko, I still do not trust him." Commander Orimoto said as he stood up from where he was seated and began to make his way to the door. "Even if it is his clone who did all of those things we are still not certain that he would not make the same mistake as his father before him."

"That is why we must ensure not to push him into that predicament, and why you should not act as you are doing now around him."

"I cannot make any promises on that." The Commander said. "But I do swear, that if he dare hurt my daughter…"

"He won't." The Leader assured him as she remembered as to what lengths the young Kanbara would go to ensure the younger Orimoto's happiness. "And another thing, Ishige… when we are around them, do not call me by my name."

Commander Orimoto nodded. "Still not ready to tell the truth, then?"

"There is a time for everything, and right now, that is not the time for it."

* * *

The team that the Leader had sent scavenged through the area where the fortress once stood. Everyone picked a spot and was busily and hastily looking for anything that would prove useful. Half of the team, however, had already found the remains of a large machine – a machine that they believe was the one used for the extraction process.

"I bet the Leader would be happy about this." Said one of the people on the ground.

"Yeah." Nodded another one. "I know she asked us to try and find this thing, but I bet she didn't actually thought we'd find it."

The conversation between the two members of the team was cut short however, when a third member came running towards them a glowing sphere on his hands.

"Everyone, look at this!" The man shouted as he continued to run towards his companions. "I found this over there. I think it's pretty important, don't you?"

In his hands was a purplish glowing orb. The person who was carrying it, although he doesn't know how to explain it, can feel a surge of power coming from the said orb. When the others saw what he was holding, they knew that he did found something valuable.

"You better go back ahead of time." The leader of the team said when he also saw what his subordinate was holding. "Take some of the men with you, we'll follow you as soon as we're done excavating that contraption."

"Why are you sending me back, Captain?" the man holding the orb asked.

"Because I have a strange feeling that that thing, whatever that is, is something that the leader has to take a look at, at once." Was the Captain's reply.

The man could only scratch his head and follow the orders that was given to him. Boarding the Omni-Craft along with half of the team, they zoomed out of the horizon and towards Shore.

* * *

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**Post Author's Notes:**

I know it's not pretty long compared to the previous chapters but, it's still pretty well done if you ask me… of course, that is a biased opinion, lol.

Anyways, thanks to all those who posted a review on the previous chapter. Now, first thing's first…

If you have voted on the poll, then you might have some questions (or maybe a lot of questions) regarding that so here are some answers to those questions.

**Q: Will you be releasing the game for the public?**

**A:** As much as I would like to say yes to this, it is still very much dependent on how many are willing to play the game. After all, I do not want to waste precious bandwidth on something that only a small amount of people (less than 10) would find interesting. That is, first and foremost, the reason for the poll.

**Q: If you're not going to release it, then is there no way we can play it?**

**A:** Well, that would be pretty stupid wouldn't it, to make a game and have no one to play it. I would be releasing a demo for the general public no matter what the outcome of the poll would be. However, like I've stated above, I would not release the full version of the game on the net if the poll isn't on favor of it.

**Q: Is there any way we can help in the production of the game?**

**A: **There is actually. I need quite a number of 'talented' or 'skilled' people in various departments. Although I am quite capable of multi-tasking, it would be far easier to work with a team. For this, people who know how to sprite, draw, create music, write a game script, and even voice act is highly welcome. 

Of course, those who do want to be a part of this project must agree not to let any part of the development process out on the public, in other words, not to spoil any part of the game to the public. Although it is a game based of The Rabbit on the Moon fanfic, there would be special parts of the game that you will not read about here. For that, those who like to spoil other people are discouraged from joining. If you want to help, drop me a line and we'll see.

**Q: Is there a requirement for joining the team?**

**A:** The only requirement is that you have reviewed at least once in this fanfic and that you must have read it of course. It would be pretty annoying to have to be asked what the story is about during the development process especially when the story is already very much out in the open. Of course, before you join, just make sure that you really can contribute to the project, we wouldn't want "ghost workers" on the team now, do we?

Now, if you have any other questions, just ask, alright?

So, for those who have yet to vote please do so. The poll's still open until the end of July.

Now, going back to the fanfic…

What do you guys think about this chapter? I'm not really sure when I can update this since I am very busy with school, but one thing is for sure. .. I will update this fanfic as soon as I have updated CoT:CW.

Well, that's about all the time I have for today. Don't forget to review and to vote, okay? With that said, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Take Care, everyone! Until Next Time!

**End of Post Author's Notes**


	41. Children Don't Know Their Parents' Heart

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, this update is rather unplanned if you ask me. I have an assignment – an essay to write, for one of my subjects but I found myself on a dead end writing it and before I knew it I had opened another word editor and pounding away on the keyboard this particular chapter… you guys must be thinking too much of me writing this that I ended writing it, lol.

Anyways, go on ahead and read the chapter. I'll write more author's notes on the latter end of this update. Enjoy!

**End of Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Children Do Not Know Their Parents' Hearts  
**

* * *

The vibrant rays of the sun shone over the windowsills and created long shadows on the room where its light touched. The sun was already high, yet, despite the fact that it was already mid-day, two figures still lay asleep on the queen-sized mattress – both tucked under the covers in a tight embrace.

Having talked and stayed up throughout the night had really taken a toll out of them, for despite the noise coming from the outside, the two did not even stir awake.

It was only a couple of minutes later that one of them began to open her eyes.

Izumi Orimoto blinked a few times before her eyes finally adjusted and she was fully awake. She smiled as she remembered their conversation – which led to her confession, with Takuya the night before.

While still sitting on the bed, she stretched up her arms and let out any final signs that she still felt sleepy. Although she did so, she remained seated, staring out of the window that still held the signs of Takuya's recent escape.

Takuya woke up with a start. As his eyes adjusted to the room's new-found light, he could not help but be mesmerized by what greeted him. Dress in her white, silky, flowing nightgown; sitting gracefully beside him; her hair glistening like gold with the sunlight's touch; was the only person who can always manage to take his breath away.

It would appear that Izumi had been lost in her thoughts for she didn't react nor took notice when Takuya sat up behind her. But, when Takuya wrapped his arms around her waist, she was surprised that she ended up knocking the back of her head unto Takuya's face.

The sudden jolt and the sudden pain that shot through them was enough to really push any thoughts of returning back to sleep away.

"S-sorry." Izumi said while holding the back of her head with her hand. "You surprised me."

Takuya rubbed the bridge of his nose wondering if Izumi had managed to break it as he simply stared at her.

Her face flushed a deep shade of red thanks to the intensity of the gaze that she was receiving from him. In the end she asked him why he was looking at her like that.

It was a question for which Takuya merely replied, "No reason… You really are just beautiful."

If Izumi had been red before, no shade of red could now compare to the blush that had crept on her face. When Takuya saw this, he could not help but let out a laugh.

When he finally stopped laughing, Takuya asked, "What were you thinking about back there?"

Izumi sighed, her eyes looked distant as she replied, "I just remembered what Chiaki said…"

"About us?" asked Takuya with his eyebrow raised. He could not help but wonder if Izumi was taking any of Chiaki's words seriously. He was also unsure as to what other things that woman had told her – of this he was worried.

Izumi shook her head, then rested it on Takuya's shoulder. "No, not about that. I don't think I should worry about that…"

"Then what?"

"I'm bothered by the truth behind what she said about what happened between her brother and our fathers, and Kouichi's grandfather as well." Izumi replied. "Is there any truth to it, or was she merely trying to shake us up."

"Isn't that supposed to be their problem?" Takuya asked, confused as to why they were even talking about the matter. "We have nothing to do with it, do we?"

"She seems to think that we do." Izumi replied with another sigh. "And I think we should find out the truth about it."

"What? We go waltz in your father's room and ask him about it?" Takuya asked with a look of disbelief and a bit of humor in his voice. "I don't think he would be too happy to see me again… and I don't even know how he will react if when he finds out about us… I don't think a punch or two will suffice."

Izumi turned her head to look over at Takuya. "I understand your concerns, Takuya. That's why I'll go and ask my father while you go and ask Kouichi's Grandfather. Besides, I agree with what you're saying last night that we should at least wait until Father realizes that you are your own person and that you're not like your father or that clone before we go and tell him about us."

Takuya looked at her as if she had just said the most outrageous thing. "Me? Talk with General Kimura by myself? How do you know that he won't go on ahead and chop my head off when he sees me? The way I see it, he's been held captive for a longer time than your father."

"Which is precisely why he would understand." Countered the blond in his arms.

"Okay… now you've lost me."

"If he was held captive long enough, then he must have heard a lot of things, which also includes about you." Izumi explained to him. "Besides, you need to know what made Kouichi turn out the way he did."

Takuya sighed and buried his head on her shoulders.

"Fine." He said, then added with humor in his voice once more. "But if I end up dead because of this, I will be certain to haunt you for the rest of your life."

Izumi playfully hit him in the head. "You won't." She said before giving him a kiss.

It was at that moment that the door to Takuya's room burst open followed by the voice of a very alarmed Junpei calling Takuya's name and saying, "We have a problem. It would appear that Junpei did not notice Izumi at once, which is why he managed to add, "Lady Izumi is missing!"

The sudden intrusion surprised Takuya and Izumi, but it was too late to do anything about it for Junpei's shocked expression was enough to tell them that he had come into a realization of what the two were doing before he barged in. What's more, Takuya's arms around Izumi and what Izumi was wearing did not help their current predicament.

Panic-stricken, Junpei could only stutter "Sorry" before he did what he thought was a possible, rational thing to do. Just as he was about to dart out of the room, Takuya, displaying the same speed he had at the tower in Lone Island, managed to grab him by the collar of his shirt before he could go out of the door.

Takuya dragged Junpei back into the room, and peered out of his door towards the hallway before he closed and locked the door.

Before Junpei realized what had happened, he was already face to face with both Takuya who had an annoyed look on his face, and Izumi who had her hands on her hips.

"Really, Sir Junpei, it wouldn't hurt you if you knocked." Izumi said.

"L-lady Izumi, I swear I didn't see anything!" Junpei said waving his arms about.

"Of course you didn't see anything!" Takuya was the one who answered, "We weren't doing anything to begin with."

"B-but… you had your arms around her a-and..." Junpei was all over the place.

"Don't even go there, Sir Junpei!" Izumi warned her which made Junpei stop whatever it was he was about to say.

Takuya sighed. He wondered if the knight would be able to keep his mouth shut or try to come up with a conclusion that anyone who didn't have the facts straight would come up with. It would appear that even though she was holding on to her crutches, as she tried to calmly explain to Junpei what he saw and what she was doing in Takuya's room, she would still manage to take full control of the situation. This of course, made Takuya glad as he decided to sit this one out.

"Does the Commander know about this?" Junpei finally asked when Izumi was finished explaining. He was a lot calmer now.

"Are you kidding?" Takuya blurted out, which made Junpei all the more worried. "You saw what he did when he laid his eyes on me. I know you can guess what he will do if he finds out."

Junpei seemed not to take Takuya's word for it though, and still holding on to that worried expression, he turned towards Izumi, who nodded.

"That's why you have to make sure not to say a word about this." Izumi said. "Well, at least until Father calms down a bit."

"I don't think he would ever calm down if he finds out." Junpei spoke. "And he will find out if you do not go to him at once, Lady Izumi."

Izumi gave him a puzzled look.

"What are you talking about?" Takuya was the one who voiced out her question.

"I was ordered by the Commander to bring Lady Izumi. He said he had something to discuss to her about." Junpei explained. "I had already taken a lot of time looking for you, Lady Izumi. If we don't get to the Commander soon, I am certain he will think that Lord Takuya kidnapped you or something and would immediately go here. I know you both realize what will happen if he catches you here, Lady Izumi…"

Junpei needed not to explain any further. Izumi nodded and looked over at Takuya and reminded him of what he should do. But, just before Takuya could lead them out of the door, a loud knock followed by the very angry voice of Commander Orimoto sounded from beyond Takuya's door.

"Kanbara, open this door!" Commander Orimoto demanded as his fist pounded on the door threatening to knock it down.

Their faces turned pale, most especially Takuya's. Takuya did not bother to hide the fact that he was afraid as he backed down from the door. Their minds raced on what to do.

"I said open this door, Kabara!" shouted the Commander as he continually pounded on the door. Every knock grew stronger and stronger as seconds passed by.

Takuya's eyes searched frantically around the room for any place that Izumi and Junpei could hide in, but every location he saw was quite impossible to use what with Izumi's bad leg. It was then that his eyes caught sight of the still under repair window.

"Quick!" He whispered loud enough for his two other companions to hear. "Use the window."

"The Commander would think that you used it as an exit." Junpei whispered back.

It would appear that Takuya had everything planned as he replied, "Not if he realizes that there's a power that's blocking any way in or out of this room through that window."

"What power?" Izumi asked.

Another loud bang from the door followed by a threat from the Commander.

Takuya knew he had to explain things fast, which he did. He instructed Junpei to use his power to create a faux-barrier around all the windows. Junpei nodded to the idea as he remembered the steps on how to do just that from his training with Katsuharu.

Without a moment's hesitation, Takuya helped Izumi out of the window and Junpei followed. Before the two went on their way, Takuya made Junpei swore that he would ensure her safe return to her room. After Junpei gave his word, the two set out towards Izumi's room using the woods as Takuya instructed for it was the fastest way around.

When Junpei and Izumi were out of sight, Takuya looked around to see if there are any evidences that Izumi and her bodyguard had been around. When he saw that there are none, he went to the door, forced himself to act sleepy, and gulped before he opened the door and faced Commander Orimoto.

The Commander's face was red with anger as Takuya slowly opened the door with a groggy face that said he had only woken up.

"Is there something I can help you with, Commander?" Takuya asked in his fake sleepy voice.

"Where did you hide my daughter?" the Commander asked.

"Where did I what?" Takuya asked. "What are you talking about, Commander Orimoto?"

"I have asked Sir Shibayama to get my daughter and they had not been back to see me. It had already been a long time since then, and I check up on her room to find that she is not there." The Commander said as he forced his way into Takuya's room. "It would only be logical to search here."

Takuya could not help but wonder what was so logical about it, but he kept his mouth shut in fear that any wrong comments would make Izumi's father much angrier at him.

Commander Orimoto searched around Takuya's room, looking at all the places Takuya had thought about hiding Izumi and Junpei before. He was thankful that he did not force them to hide there. When the Commander's search turned up nothing, he turned his attention back on Takuya.

"Where is she?" He growled.

"I don't know, sir." Takuya lied for the sake of his life. "You're the first person I have seen this morning as I have only just awoken."

The Commander eyed him with as much suspicion as a person could possibly have. He scanned the room one more time, and at that moment took notice of the broken window. Thinking that he had it all figured out, the Commander walked over to the window and was about to touch it when Takuya warned him not to.

"Do you expect me to fall for that trick?" The Commander asked. "You cannot hide things from me, Kanbara."

"I am not trying to hide things from you, Commander Orimoto." Takuya countered. "You see, the Leader placed a barrier around this room. Touch the window and you might get a shock."

The Commander, however, was stubborn as he did not listen to Takuya's warning. The moment that he did touch the window was the moment he did feel himself shocked and thrown to the other side of the room.

Not wanting to seem like a bad guy, which of course he was not, Takuya immediately rushed over to the older Orimoto's side and asked with a worried tone, "Commander, are you alright?"

The Commander grunted before pushing Takuya away and standing up on his own. At that moment, someone else had entered in the room.

"What are you doing here, Commander Orimoto?" asked the Leader.

Takuya was surprised by the Leader's appearance and so was the Commander, who glared at Takuya before replying, "I'm looking for my daughter."

"What gives you the impression that you will find her in Takuya's room?" Came the Leader's next question.

The Commander did not bother to dodge the question as he voiced out the same thing about Takuya possibly allying himself with the enemy – a theory that the Leader assured the Commander was highly improbable.

With a final death glare aimed at Takuya, and a nod at the Leader, the Commander stormed out of the room.

When the Commander left, Takuya could only release the nervousness that he felt with a sigh. After which, he noticed that the Leader had still not left.

Takuya looked at her with a look that asked what she was still doing there.

"You should really be careful, Takuya." The Leader warned. "Both you and Izumi should not pull another stunt like this. The Commander, he means business. He doesn't bother to hide his suspicions."

"What are you talking about?" Takuya asked trying to fake it.

"You do not need to hide it from me." Was the Leader's choice of reply. "Do not risk asking Izumi to sleep with you again unless you have won her father's favor if you want to live longer. By the way, get properly dressed and meet us in my study… something important just came up."

The Leader did not bother to hear what Takuya was about to say for the moment those words were out of her mouth, she retreated out of Takuya's room.

"Just how does she know of those things…?" Takuya could not help but wonder, muttering his question out loud.

* * *

Takuya stood on the corner, making sure that he was far away from Izumi as possible what with her father watching him intently, hoping that he would let some evil plot slip. Among the people gathered apart from himself, Commander Orimoto and the Leader were Izumi, Junpei, Kouji, Tomoki, and Teppei. The General was still not around which made Takuya conclude that he was still weak and resting in his room.

"The reason I called you all here today is because the team I sent to dig up evidences from the wreckage in Lone Island found something apart from the device that was used for the process which they called "extraction"." The Leader explained. She was expecting Takuya to comment about something, but when he merely nodded and did not speak, she went on. "I believe one of you will find some sort of connection or familiarity with this."

With that, the leader took out something that was covered a thick piece of clothing. From the way the Leader handled it, everyone was certain it was something valuable and something round.

For some unknown reason for Izumi, she suddenly felt dizzy the moment that the Leader placed the unknown object in front of her desk. She, of course, decided to hide the nauseous sensation she was having for fear that everyone would be worried of her and forget the important matter at hand.

"This was found on the site." The Leader said before she unveiled the item in question.

The moment the cloth covering the orb was taken off, the orb began to glow. First it only gave off a small light, but then the glow became brighter and brighter. As it did, Izumi seemed to be in resonance with the orb as she too began glowing.

"What's going on?" Kouji asked, it was the question that was on everyone's mind at the moment.

"This orb holds the extracted power that was taken from one of you." The Leader explained as Izumi's dizziness grew. "We didn't know whose, but it seems it was right to call you all here. Now we know that this one holds Izumi's power – the part that was taken from her by the extraction process."

As soon as those words were out of the Leader's hands, by using some sort of hand signs and seals, she broke the glass orb, releasing Izumi's power. With the orb broken, Izumi's power returned to her. But the force of the power's return was too much for her to take that she fainted and fell back.

As she did, it was Takuya who caught her.

"What happened to her?" He asked, demanding an answer. The look and the way he spoke to the Leader caught the Commander off guard. He was confused as to why that person was so worried of her daughter.

"It's a normal reaction, Takuya." The Leader replied. "It would appear that they managed to take a large chunk of power out of all of you, therefore, it is no surprise that when that power is returned all too suddenly, something like this would happen."

"Couldn't you at least have given her a head's up, my lady?" Teppei asked just before Takuya could give any violent reaction.

"Even if I had voiced that out, the end would still be the same." Was what the Leader merely replied.

Takuya looked at the sleeping one in his arms. It was then that he realized what it was that he has done and immediately looked at the Commander to see what reaction he had on the matter – an also, on him. What greeted him was a mixed expression of annoyance, anger, and gratefulness. This made Takuya even more nervous.

"Is there anything else that you're going to say to us?" Takuya asked.

"Nothing else at the moment." The Leader replied. "Why do you ask?"

"We can't just leave Izumi like this." Takuya replied. "With her father's permission, I would like to take her back to her room or even to the Medical Unit to let them check up on her. Of course, if he doesn't trust me to do this alone, then he is free to come with me."

Takuya's almost-respectful reply surprised everyone in the room. His fellow Chosen Ones and the Leader understood what the sudden change of tone was all about. Out of all the people in the room who was surprised, none would be more so than Izumi's father.

Having been caught off guard, however, did not weaken the reply that Takuya received. "Of course I would be coming with you, Kanbara. There is no way that I would leave you alone with my daughter."

Takuya merely nodded and acknowledged his reply before he stood up with Izumi in his arms and walked out of the room with the Commander in tow.

"Well, the way those two act's interesting." Tomoki said as soon as the door closed behind the Commander.

"I actually find it troublesome." Kouji said. "Can't you do anything about it, my lady?"

The Leader shook her head. "I've already done all I can, and I can only do so much between those two. It all depends now on how Takuya would act, and I think he understands that."

"I hope this ends soon." Junpei said as he did not bother to hide the weariness in his voice. "This is taking a lot out of us whether we know it or not."

"Well, as long as that idiot doesn't do anything stupid I think it will go well." Teppei said voicing his confidence on Takuya… sort of. "Anyway, Leader, besides Izumi's did they find ours as well?"

The Leader shook her head. "The leader of the team I sent to Lone Island had ordered a thorough search on the vicinity. However, they could only find the machination used for the extraction process. It would appear that during the enemy's flight, Izumi's orb fell out of whatever container they had it in."

"So, there is still a very high chance that we would be fighting clones of ourselves then." Tomoki said, he was worried about that and so were the others.

"But still, it is a good thing." The Leader told them. "They need all ten elements that each of you Chosen Ones possess in order to fulfill their plan. Without Izumi's power in their hands, they would not succeed."

Everyone nodded at this, but then the Leader added still. "However, that also means that our enemy would surely be focusing all their resources on obtaining Izumi… which is why we have to make sure that she is kept safe at all times."

It was an obvious proposition, and hearing it and saying it as well was an easy thing – everyone agreed on that, but to ensure that the enemy would not get their hands on her and her power was another thing.

* * *

Katsuharu was flabbergasted when, upon checking the orbs that he had obtained, found that he was missing one. He feared for his mother's safety if ever his father would learn of his blunder. At that moment, he was lucky that only the Clone was with him.

"How could this have happened, Katsuharu?" The Clone asked, not minding if he was speaking to the Prince of the Kingdom or not.

"I am not sure… but I guess it was because of the whole commotion that I did not notice one of the orbs slipping off of the container." Katsuharu replied. "I hope you would not tell your father or my father of this…"

"I have nothing to gain from doing that." The clone replied. "I would be severely punished as well if ever they know."

Silence filled the small, dark room filled with all sorts of machines each creating their own sounds and blinking lights. It was only after a long silence that the Clone asked who's orb it was they were missing.

"Izumi Orimoto's." was Katsuya's reply.

* * *

"What is it that you are really plotting, Kanbara?" the Commander spoke while he and Takuya waited for the analysis of the doctor on duty.

"I am not plotting anything." Takuya replied. "Why, sir, do you keep on insisting that I am?"

"Because you are Takuya Kanbara!" the Commander replied. "You're _his_ son! The same blood flows through your veins!"

Takuya sighed. He had figured that would be his answer.

"Well? Speak up, boy!"

"If it is against the Clone and his cohorts, then I can say I am plotting something against them, but if it is something that concerns your daughter, Lady Izumi, then I am not. After all, there is no way I can hurt her." Takuya replied, choosing his words carefully. "I've risked my life in saving her more than once, not because I want something in return…or because I want to get close to her and then betray her…"

"Then what are your reasons?" Commander Orimoto showed no signs of letting up on his questions.

Takuya thought for a moment, his eyes lingering on the room where he and the Commander had taken Izumi. All the while that he was thinking of the right words to say, the commander was eyeing him suspiciously, searching for any signs that the boy was lying… but no matter how hard he looked, he could find no such signs.

After a while, Takuya replied, "At first, when Kouichi and I received the mission back at the academy, I thought that it was my duty to make sure that she arrives safely to her destination and back. I thought that it was something that I had to do if I ever want to be a knight. Back then, I didn't know who she was… she had, after all, introduced herself as Lord Kouji's sister."

Commander Orimoto nodded, listening to him speak. He saw the distant look in his eyes that told him he was really looking back on those moments. The way he looked reminded him of Takuya's father, Hiroaki, back when they were still friends – back when Hiroaki Kanbara was still a young, noble knight in his eyes.

Even if he would not admit it out loud, Ishige Orimoto truly missed his dear friend. He missed the times they spent together on their countless adventures, missions, and misadventures. However, he knew that as much as he wished for the time long gone to return, such a wish would not come true.

"When I was held captive by my father," Takuya went on after a short pause, "that was the time that I remembered what happened before… of who Izumi really is. That she was my very dear and best friend. It made even more sense for me to protect her. That is why, no matter how many times they asked of her location and the location of the other Chosen Ones, I did not speak."

_"So, he really is stubborn… just like Hiroaki… and selfless as well."_ The Commander thought.

Takuya was not sure if the older man was listening, but he had said so much already that it did not feel right to stop, and so he continued still. He feared that what he may say next intensify the anger that Izumi's father has on him, though.

"I admit, though, sir… that I may have hurt your daughter when she thought that I was dead. I may have hurt her when she thought that she wasn't able to do anything to help me back. I may have hurt her when, during that time she was crying under the rain during my 'funeral', I wasn't able to go to her, even when I was there, watching in the shadows." Takuya said. "But you have to believe me, Commander Orimoto, I did not mean to hurt her. I had no choice… at that time, the Organization was keeping a vigilant watch on me, making sure I do not do anything foolish that may endanger myself, or the other Chosen Ones… I realized back then, as much as I hate to admit it, that not communicating in any way with your daughter and not showing myself, no matter how painful it was, would ensure her safety for as long a time as possible."

"It is the will of the Organization," spoke the Commander. "I understand that. You are a Chosen One under their possession, they must ensure that your existence, after having been pronounced dead by the Kingdom, would remain as a secret. But we all know how that turned out now, do we?"

Takuya nodded.

"You said that that was your reason before, now what is your purpose then?"

Takuya paused. He knew such a question would come eventually, but was he really ready to tell Izumi's father the truth? He really did not know. His uncertainty seemed obvious to the Commander, for this the Commander spoke: "You do understand that if you choose to lie at me, I will make sure that my daughter never sees you again." He said. "Although my judgment is telling me otherwise, I am trying to understand you a bit better as I promised my daughter I would… and as I have promised a very dear friend that I would."

"To be honest about my uncertainties, sir… I am uncertain for I am afraid of you, you see." Takuya said this with as much courage as he could to voice out his concern. "It is no secret that if you could, you really would dispose of me. It isn't a matter of whether I am the Clone or not. I don't know if it is because you hate my father or you think that I might end up like him. I don't really know the reason why you do not like me… which gives me all the more reason to fear you, sir… especially after all the stories I have heard about you…"

Ishige Orimoto sighed. He didn't know if the boy was merely acting or he was sincere in whatever he was saying, but for now, he was going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"I have heard, from my daughter, of your courage and fearlessness in the midst of battle… perhaps you can show me that courage now as you answer my question." Was what Ishige said in countenance of what Takuya had said.

Takuya looked up at Izumi's father, unsure of what he should make out of his comment. He sighed before he answered his question soon afterwards.

"I fell in love with her." Was all he could reply in a low whisper, but it was loud enough for the older man to hear. Takuya waited for any loud and angry reply from Izumi's father, but when none came, he was all the more unsure.

Silence filled the air. For Takuya, it was a silence filled with uneasiness while for the Commander, it was a silence filled with contemplation.

The Commander wondered if his daughter was happy as what the Leader, Yuriko, had said. He remembered how certain she was of this boy. But of course, she was certain of him… how could she not be? She had watched over him during his stay at the mansion and she knows more of him that he does. He was stubborn, though, and so he wondered if it was his stubbornness that was not allowing him to see the bigger picture.

He seemed to have notice the uneasiness that has settled in, and also the uneasiness that the young Kanbara had around him which is why he decided that he would push the conversation more but on a different direction.

"Your father, Hiroaki Kanbara… you remind me so much of him." The Commander spoke. They were still waiting for any news concerning Izumi.

Takuya nodded nervously. "I have heard the same thing from the Leader."

"Do you like what you hear then?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, sir. Part of me does, I guess… but a larger part of me hates it because I am being compared with my father. I mean, he was a great knight before… but when Mother disappeared… when she died, he changed. The person he is now is someone I do not know."

Ishige Orimoto could not help but feel the same sentiment as the young Kanbara. He wondered how hard it was for the boy to see his father transformed into the power-hungry General he was now.

"Sir, can I ask something?"

This surprised the Commander, but he gave the signal for Takuya to ask his question.

"Do you hate my father so much that your hatred is mirrored at me?" He asked. "What was it that he did that made you so mad at him?"

He was taken aback by the question, but found the poise to reply, "It's a very complicated matter."

"Sir, when I was trying to rescue Izumi on the tower. She was fighting against another Chosen One who used to work for the Organization." Takuya began once again.

"Yes, I did hear that Izumi got her injury from the battle against that Chiaki-person." The Commander nodded, remembering how the Leader retold everything the group had told her to him.

"When I came to her rescue, she said that my father, you and the General committed a sin against her and her brother." The Commander was listening intently now as Takuya went on. "She said that you three used her brother to make sure that Kouichi, Izumi and I are not handed over to the King…"

The Commander felt he knew where the conversation was going and so he cut Takuya off saying, "This is not the place to discuss of this, Kanbara."

"But, sir! This is important. That woman, Chiaki, she wants to get revenge on us for whatever it was that happened to her and her brother." Takuya protested. "I also believe that this is the reason why Kouichi did not return with us. I have to know… no, Izumi and I both need to know what the truth is!"

Commander Orimoto looked at Takuya intently studying his features. He sighed as he saw that Takuya was not about to let this one slide.

"Ask the person you call the "Leader"." Commander Orimoto said. "And if she is willing to talk of it, even if just a little bit, then come to me and I will tell you everything."

* * *

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**Post Author's Notes:**

Whew, that was quite long for a side-work while thinking up what to write for my essay, lol. I guess I got too caught up in writing this that I didn't realize it was this long already…

Well, I got a review from **Gehktus Yht Kq Yht Tekesuh** asking "What game". If you haven't read my previous post author's notes, then I suggest you go on ahead and read or better yet, check the poll if you haven't. But, if you wish not to do so and want me to answer here, then I shall.

The game, as I have said before, is a PC game based off this fanfic, Rabbit on the Moon. It would be an RPG game with all the RPG elements that could be found on any RPG games. Of course, as it is still in the planning process, then I still am welcoming suggestions of what you guys would like to see in the game as far as RPG elements are concerned.

Right now, the only team member, other than myself, on the development theme is **Kazehime – Izumi Orimoto**, who is the seiyuu/voice actress for Izumi. Now, if you guys want to voice act then e-mail me and tell me who the character (from this fanfic) you would want.

As for **dogluv101**'s question, I guess this chapter answers that. Don't you think, lol.

As for those wondering what a sprite is, it's those little characters that you see walking around in the game. They can either be controlled or not. So, being a spriter means, you are one of the people who makes/draws the characters that the players see. There are, of course because of the heavy work load, more than five spriters on a team.

Now, what else have I forgotten… Oh yeah, those who haven't voted yet, please do so. Time is running out for you to vote, after all.

Well, I guess that's about it for now. If you guys have any more questions, suggestions or the likes, feel free to voice it out. Oh, and don't forget to review now, okay?

Oh well, now it's time for me to go back to that essay of mine. So, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and heading off to work on her assignment. Until next time, take care, everyone!

**End of Post Author's Notes**


	42. Secrets of the Spirits

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, another delayed release of this chapter (like the chapter on CoT: CW), so sorry about that. I had so much to do and so little time to write for this chapter. Luckily, exams are over… but, there are still a few projects that I had to finish before I can be able to devote my time once again in writing the chapters for both this fanfic and CoT.

Anyways, I will not say much more in this part of the Author's Note seeing as how eager most of you are to know what happens next in our story. So, what else is there left to say but, "Enjoy and Read on!"

**End of Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Secrets of the Spirits**

* * *

Takuya Kanbara let the wind blow through his already messed up, spiky hair as he stood by the open window of Izumi's room. It was already the morning after Izumi's extracted power was returned to her and even though several hours have passed since then, she was still unconscious – something that the doctors told them was normal.

His hands rested on the windowsill and his eye looked over the peaceful city of Shore where people were bustling about their business. For some reason, there were a lot of people hurrying about their duties than normal but what their business was is the least bit of thought in the young Kanbara's eye.

He was not alone in the room with Izumi however for the Commander was also with him. After all, he didn't trust him that much to let his daughter be alone with him. And like always, he was still eyeing him suspiciously, which added tension in the room… even though the Commander was merely sitting peacefully near his daughter.

"No one forbade you to sit, Kanbara." The Commander said after a while, he was the one who was getting tired of Takuya's uneasiness.

Takuya stiffened when he heard the Commander speak. Even after having talked with the older man the night before, Takuya could not force himself to be lax around him.

"Y-yes sir." Was all Takuya could say before he sat down on the chair on the other side of Izumi's bed.

Minutes of silence passed by yet again. It was uncomfortable for Takuya while annoying for Commander Ishige Orimoto. The Commander could not help but wonder if the fear that Takuya had of him was out of respect or just to make sure that he doesn't do anything foolish in front of him. But he did know that Takuya was afraid solely because of the things he had heard about him. Of course, any guy would be uncomfortable around the father of the girl he loves.

If there was one thing that the two men have in common, it was that neither of them have had time to rest since the events the day before. Despite how the others have come and told them to, they stayed stubbornly watching over the unconscious girl.

The Leader knew of this, as she was the one who had sent for the others to persuade the two men to rest, which is why, at that moment, when she knew that everyone had failed in doing so, she was the one who personally went to them.

"I know both of you are worried of her," she said as she made her way inside Izumi's room, "but you both are only wasting your energy worrying about her too much. I know she wouldn't like it if she would know that you both have not yet rested."

Her sudden intrusion caught both men of guard.

"Leader!" exclaimed Takuya. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you expect?" Came the leader's reply. "After hearing from the others that you both would not agree to leave the girl's side and rest, I find it my responsibility to persuade you to. Besides, one has to wonder when you both last took a bath."

Both men blushed. It was not right for someone of their standing, at least for the Commander, to be seen in such a poor state in hygiene and the same goes for Takuya, especially if he is in front of a lady, even if the said lady was unconscious.

"Go take a bath and get some rest… both of you." It came out more of an order than a request from the Leader.

"But—" The Commander was about to protest when the Leader cut him off.

"Commander Orimoto, I understand that you are worried but you should also think about your well being." The Leader said. "If it would put you both at ease, then I will personally look after her while both of you rest. Otherwise, if you do not comply with this, I will be forced to keep you both away from her with the use of a barrier and the help of the other Chosen Ones."

The tone of her voice and the look in her eyes told the Commander that it would be best not to argue and so, he could only nod as he stood up and proceeded to get out of the room and head to his quarters. Takuya, on the other hand, stared with annoyance at the Leader.

"There's no point in forcing me to rest." He said. "I am not the least bit tired."

"You're bluffing." The Leader retorted. "Besides, what would you do should the enemy decide to attack us at this moment to obtain Izumi – the only Chosen One left for them to extract? Do you think you would be able to protect her if you have not even had a short rest? A Chosen One's power is based from his physical fitness and mental prowess without rest, that eye of your would not even function as it should."

Takuya could not find anything to say to counter the words of the Leader. And so, even though he did not really wish to leave, he had no choice. However, just before he got out of Izumi's room, the Leader added, "And Takuya, drop the eye-patch. It does not add to your looks. Besides, there is no longer any reason for you to hide it as the enemy most probably already knows of it."

Takuya merely stared back at her, then turned around and walked away.

The Leader sighed and asked, "Hiroaki, just what kind of manners did you teach that boy?"

* * *

"We do not have much time left, Katsuharu." The Clone said.

"I understand." Katsuharu said. "But are you certain that it is wise to send those two to get her and to dispose of Takuya Kanbara?"

"I do not know." The Clone replied, for the first time, worry showed in his facial features. "However, we have no choice. To match a Chosen One's power we would have to use other Chosen Ones since if we use any of the experiments, the King and my father would notice and we will both get punished for it."

"True. Still, do you really believe the Orimoto girl would come out alive after her meeting with them?" Katsuharu was worried of this plan. "I know you do not wish for her to die."

Silence was the Clone's answer. But after a while of thought, he came up with a solution.

"Then we will have to send Kouichi along with them. I'm sure he will be able to restrain those two." The Clone said.

"Kouichi, huh…" was all Katsuharu could say before he called for the said raven-haired man.

* * *

Takuya stared blankly at his face in the mirror inside his room's bathroom. Even if it had already been quite a while since he obtained Flahyme's eye he still could not look at himself directly and see what he looks like with it. He doesn't know why, but for some reason he fears looking at himself whenever he doesn't have the eye-patch on.

"_How can not having the eye-patch on help my looks_?" Takuya wondered to himself as he had always been fond of wearing the thing. "_What is that Leader thinking?_"

He looked at his reflection for the first time in a while. The burning right eye that he has really did not suit his feature well as his auburn-colored left eye clashed with the color of his right. He hadn't seen it himself before, but Izumi had told him that whenever he fought and used Flahyme's power, the pupil of his right eye would turn into something reminiscent to a beast's pupil. They both figured that it was just a characteristic of the eye as Takuya uses it as a form of medium to call forth his power as a Chosen One.

He didn't know what to think of it. He hadn't actually thought much about it for it only brings forth memories of his lost Guardian Spirit. He, Takuya Kanbara, still needs to find out what happened to Flahyme. He still also has to talk with the Leader and see if she would tell him anything concerning Chiaki's grudge against him, Izumi and Kouichi and their fathers, or in Kouichi's case, his grandfather. There are even, so many more questions that he wanted to ask and answers to these questions he wanted found but he knew that right now they have to figure out a way to keep Izumi safe.

Thinking on it, Takuya moved away from the mirror and to the shower. As soon as he stepped into the shower and closed the curtains, he opened the faucet and let the cold water cleanse him. The cold water and the sound of it hitting the tiled floor of the bathroom was enough to make him relax. His thoughts drifting from Izumi to her father then back to Izumi again. He still doesn't know where he stand in Commander Orimoto's eyes even after the conversation they had the night before, but he knew that he stood on better ground with him now than before the conversation even began.

Minutes later and Takuya emerged from the shower. After drying himself, he proceeded to change into a new set of clothes that the Leader had given him which was a sleeveless, leathered vest coupled with a short-sleeved cotton shirt and a pair of white-colored pants. He had seen such clothing worn by the men of Shore but had never actually worn it himself before.

Soon after he was well-dressed, he took the eye-patch, which he had placed on a nearby desk, in his hands and looked at it. He wasn't sure how well he would look to the others without it, but he knows that if he wishes to get the Leader to talk about what had happened between Chiaki and his father, then he would have to be on her good side – something that he knows would be hard to do considering his record of making her frustrated with him. With that thought in mind, Takuya pocketed the eye-patch and lay down on his bed not really expecting to fall asleep any time soon.

* * *

Tomoki Himi stood panting, defending himself against Teppei in their mock-up battle. He was still able to control his Spirit Energy despite the fact that he was tired, and this, for was a good thing as said by Teppei.

"You're improving on controlling your energy, Tomoki." Teppei spoke in between breaths. "The fact that you are still standing despite how long we've been training and being able to keep control of your power as a Chosen One proves it."

"Thanks." Said Tomoki in the same manner as Teppei. "I could say the same for you."

And with that out of the way, the two Chosen Ones continued on attacking each other with all they have. It was their way of training to hold nothing back, as long as they don't kill each other in the process though. With what had happened in Lone Island, they intensified their training knowing full well what awaits them ahead.

Apart from Tomoki and Teppei, Kouji and Junpei were also training in a different training area than the two for it was not wise, after all, for all of them to train under one place at the same time – that has been proven the first time they did so, an event that almost ripped the mansion apart.

"Junpei, you should really control how you use your energy, otherwise you'll end up incapable of ending a long battle in your favor." Kouji told his training partner, who was already laying on the grass outside the mansion, breathing heavily.

Junpei could only nod feeling that if he did spoke, he would only be depleting his remaining energy.

Kouji sighed for he knew it would take a while before their training would resume. However, he could not force himself to sit still and so he unsheathed his sword and trained with it, hacking and slashing at the wind. After what had happened in Lone Island, he promised himself that he would get stronger both in using the sword and as a Chosen One.

The look in Kouichi's eyes as he fought with him was another thing Kouji could not forget. He was confused – that was something Kouji learned on their previous meeting.

"_I know I can get through to him._" He thought to himself. "_But I won't be able to do it if I have no idea what changed him to begin with._"

Judging from how Takuya reacted, it was apparent that he didn't know the reason behind it as well. Neither did any of their other companions. It is with this in mind that Kouji concluded that the only person who can tell him the cause would be Kouichi's Grandfather, the General Kimura himself.

But Kouji could not think of any reason why the General would answer his questions. It was, if he were to guess, something that only concerns the Kimura Clan and he was certainly an outsider.

"_Should I risk it?_" Kouji found himself asking. "_If so, how will I go about asking of it? Certainly the General would rather keep this quiet…_"

Kouji continued to think of how to start a conversation with the General. But through all of his conversation starters, he always imagined the conversation to end up not so well. The thought, however, of giving up was the least thought on the young Vice-Commander's mind.

* * *

He watched in silence as his two other companions spoke. Both seemingly excited with the task at hand – a task that he did not want to be a part of but, he had no choice. It would take a while before they arrive at the Organization's Headquarters for they had to use stealth and by using stealth, they would have to take things slowly.

"You have to promise me, brother, that you would leave dealing with Izumi Orimoto to me." Chiaki said as she crossed her legs while seated on the front seat on their vehicle.

"Then…what do you expect me to do? Just watch while you have all the fun?" Came her brother's response.

"Well, you can deal with the other Takuya and his friends." Was Chiaki's reply. "You can even go on ahead and destroy their base if you want to, brother."

Her brother, Terou, thought about the proposal for a second. The thought of being able to destroy anything in his path really made him excited all of a sudden. The maniacal glare in his eyes only intensified as he also knew that two of the three people who did him wrong were in that place. Yes… he would be able to pay them back for everything that they have done to him a thousand times over.

Kouichi continued on with his silent observation. He could care less what they do as long as they do not kill Izumi Orimoto, which the Clone had asked him to make sure of. But for Kouichi, it was not only Izumi whom he would make sure to end up alive after the encounter. He also had to make sure that Kouji Minamoto is not harmed in any way.

* * *

She was unsure of where she was at. For one, it was not somewhere she had been nor was it any part of her and Takuya's "Dream World" or any part of the Organization's Mansion. For Izumi Orimoto, the place she was at was new to her.

It held the eeriness of the illusion that Takuya had used on her during their training. She didn't know if it was because of that why she was feeling familiarity or not. However, unlike the illusion, this place had color in them and, she was not in some dark, damp place but rather a top a high mountain.

It would have been such a spectacular view if only she knew how she get there or what she was doing atop such a high place to begin with. Yes, it was for that reason why she was on guard and why she was uneasy.

"What am I doing in such a place?" She found herself asking out loud but expecting no one to answer her query. "I can only remember being called to the Leader's office and then she placed something on the table…then I can't remember any more."

Her mind raced trying to think of any explanation as to why she was where she was at. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not come up with a decent explanation. She tried calling for Kaizen but her voice could not reach her. She also tried calling for Takuya but her cries did not bring her to him.

She tried to get off of the mountain, but she found that it was to no avail. The place was a giant loop, which kept on repeating itself thus she would always find herself in the middle of the clearing atop the mountain. She also thought of flying away, however, when she tried to use any of her powers she could not and so flying was out of the question.

Izumi tried to fight back her fear and her tears. She kept on telling herself that dwelling on them would help her predicament. She wondered if she was taken captive and if Takuya would be coming to her rescue any time soon. The hope of rescue, if she was taken captive, was what kept her sane.

She didn't know how long it had been since she came to, but it felt like forever until she finally heard a voice.

"Why are you so restless, Izumi?" came a female voice.

Izumi immediately stood up and faced the direction of where the voice was coming from. It was then that she saw a beautiful woman clothed in white, her hair was long and silvery in color. Her body was slender and her skin was pale but it enhanced her beauty even more. Her beauty mesmerized Izumi and at the same time confused her. Certainly such a beautiful person would not be easy to forget, however, she could not remember who the person was or if she had even met her before.

"Do I… know you?" Breathed Izumi.

The woman laughed. Her laugh sounded like a beautiful melody that seemed to light up the mountains even more as it also seemed to laugh along with her. Izumi wondered why she was laughing. Had she said anything funny?

"Is there something that's funny?" Izumi asked with all due respect.

"Sorry." The woman replied. "It is just that the look on your face is priceless. But to answer your question… I think if you would calm down a bit you would know the answer to it yourself."

If the woman meant to ease the confusion out of Izumi's mind, her words did not help one bit for it only confused her more.

"Just let go of your worries, Izumi." The woman said, then added. "You have nothing to worry about in this place for you are safe here… or at least, your consciousness is."

There was something in the woman's voice that made Izumi believe her every word. And believing in her words, Izumi calmed down and focused as the woman instructed. As she was trying to recollect everything, the woman watched her intently with a curious look in her face.

A couple of minutes passed and Izumi came into a realization, her eyes widening as she spoke, "No way…"

"So, have you found your answer, Izumi?" The disbelieving look on Izumi's face was enough to answer the woman's question. Seeing as Izumi was still speechless, the woman decided to went on. "You are not mistaken. I am who you know as 'Kaizen'."

"B-but, Kaizen is a little fairy-like creature… you're…" Izumi was stuttering as she spoke.

"You are correct, the entity known as 'Kaizen' materializes as a little fairy created by the Wind Spirit. However, if there is something you have to know when it comes to Guardian Spirits, every one of us was once a Chosen One like yourself." 'Kaizen' explained. "In every generation of Chosen Ones, the past generation becomes their guide and only when the Chosen One is ready do these guides materialize in their true form and communicate with them like what I am doing with you now."

"You mean to tell me that you were a Chosen One before?" Izumi asked, the revelation was a surprise to her.

'Kaizen' nodded. "In that past life, I was known by the name Haruko."

"What am I doing here then and where is this place?" She asked Haruko.

"Like I've said, we Guardian Spirits appear in our true form when the Chosen One whom we watch over is ready." 'Kaizen' or Haruko, as she had introduced herself in that form, replied. "This place is the root of both our powers. This mountain has been used since the beginning of the history of Chosen Ones as a training ground for the Wind's Chosen. This place is where Lady Kanon, the first Wind's Chosen was blessed and given her powers as a Chosen One and this is where I was trained by Lady Kanon when I was a Chosen One myself. Now, it is where you will be trained, Izumi."

"Trained? Why here? Is this training something that cannot be done outside this place?"

Haruko smiled as she remember how she too was filled with questions that day when her Guardian Spirit explained to her how things were to work.

"The devastation that our training could cause is something that we cannot risk in the Physical World." Haruko explained using the same words that her mentor used. "From now on, this place is where I shall train you… as such, no one can help you here where training would be intense. Takuya would not be able to come to your aide like he has done so in the past. The only person who can help you here is yourself."

Izumi knows that she had to stop depending too much on Takuya. The battle against Chiaki atop the tower in Lone Island proved how much she needed to improve and how much stronger she needed to be just so she would not end up as a burden.

Haruko saw the way Izumi's eyes changed from one filled with questions to one filled with determination. She knew what the young Chosen One was thinking and she smiled inwardly because of it. Izumi had indeed grown, it was something that she could see, and she could only predict that she would even surpass her and Lady Kanon.

However, Haruko knew. She could feel it. Time was short and danger was in the horizon. The wind had carried her news of ill fortune and for this, she needed to make sure that Izumi was strong enough to defend not only herself but those she hold dear, after all, she was the only one left who has all of her powers in tact.

"We shall not waste time, Izumi." She said, her tone becoming as serious as the look that was now displayed on her face. "You should know by now that you will be targeted by the enemy… for this, you would have to grow stronger, much more stronger than you are now."

"I understand." Izumi replied with as much seriousness.

"Good." Her Guardian Spirit said. "Then, let us begin."

* * *

Takuya awoke to the sound of thunder. He did not realize that he had fallen asleep to begin with but he did. It was already dark, but upon looking at the grandfather's clock situated near the door of his room, it was only half-past two in the afternoon. Standing up, he looked over the window, which he had used to escape several nights before but is now fixed, only to see dark clouds looming in the distance.

"A storm is coming." He found himself murmuring.

Ever since he began his stay at the mansion in Shore, not once did a storm hit the said island. But now it seems, he would be able to experience first hand what the storms in Shore are like.

Another lightning illuminated the darkened room for a brief amount of time before the roar of thunder echoed much louder than the first. If Takuya were to base the intensity of the storm with the volume of the thunder, he would have to guess that it would be quite a powerful storm.

The image of the scurrying people earlier that morning flooded Takuya's mind as he finally understood what they were hurrying about.

"They must have heard of the storm ahead of time." He told himself. "Well, at least they would not have to worry about running out of food in the middle of the storm."

Seeing as there was nothing for him to do in his room, Takuya decided to head to Izumi's room to see if she had regained consciousness. When he got there, he was surprised to see Junpei and Tomoki watching over her.

"What are you guys doing here?" Takuya asked, although he already knew what the answer would be, which was the reason why he added, "And where's Commander Orimoto?"

"Isn't it obvious that we're watching over Lady Izumi?" Junpei answered, in an annoyed tone after almost falling over his seat when another thunder echoed through the vicinity. "Anyway, the Commander is still in his room taking a rest."

"Don't mind Junpei, he's been jumpy ever since the thunderstorm started." Tomoki said. "We should be the one asking you Takuya, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you still be in bed resting?"

Takuya shrugged as he walked towards Izumi's bed and sat down near her and touched her face gently and lovingly. "I've rested enough. I really could not force myself to sit around in one place for too long."

Junpei looked from Takuya to the closed door and back to Takuya again before he spoke, "If the Commander sees you so close to Lady Izumi, he would certainly have a fit and Tomoki and I would get blamed for it."

"Don't worry." Takuya replied. "I won't stay here for long. I just came by to check on her."

"Well, that's a surprise." Tomoki said. "Are you going somewhere?"

Takuya nodded. "There's something I had been meaning to ask the Leader for a while now. By any chance, do you two know where she might be?"

"Well, if she's not in her study, then she could be rallying the remaining forces of the Organization to ensure the safety of the people of Shore." Junpei replied, a reply which Tomoki nodded to. "If you still can't find her then, then head to the Inventory Room and go ask Teppei. I'm sure he would know."

"Right." Takuya said as he stood up. He wanted to give Izumi a peck on the forehead but knew the consequences if the Commander did indeed suddenly burst into the room.

After thanking his two friends, who also noted that Takuya had finally dropped the Pirate-look, the young Kanbara proceeded to search for the Leader of the Organization. It was not long after that, however, did he bump into Kouji who was surprised to see Takuya up and about already.

"Lord Takuya, I see you've finally given everyone the pleasure of seeing that eye of yours." Kouji greeted him. "What are you doing walking around, shouldn't you be in bed resting?"

Takuya could not help but wonder what it was with everyone telling him to rest. "I should be the one telling you to rest, you look like you've hadn't had a decent rest in a long while, Vice Commander."

"It's part of the job." Was Kouji's mere reply, although he did wish that he had some time to rest.

"Well, as much as I would love to stay and keep you some company on whatever errand you're doing, I have to go an find the Leader." Takuya said.

"The Leader? What did you do this time, Takuya?" Came a suspecting query from Kouji.

"Hey, what makes you think I did something wrong?" Countered Takuya.

The Vice-Commander gave him the are-you-seriously-asking-me-that-question look before he answered, "In cases where you are looking for the Leader would mean that she had called for you after you have seriously ticked her off. In rarer cases however, you are searching for her to get her to agree to something that would eventually tick her off."

Takuya sighed. It was true that such were the only cases when he went looking for the Leader, however, this time, it was entirely different, and he explained this with as little words as possible to Kouji.

"Well, good luck finding her then." Kouji said. "I just went to her study and she wasn't there."

"Did you need something from her?" Takuya asked.

Kouji nodded. "I was about to talk with the General Kimura, but his room is empty so I thought of asking the Leader if he was transferred to a different quarters or something for safety purposes."

Takuya thought for a moment. Since Kouji had already checked the study, it would be pointless for him to head to that direction. Remembering Junpei's words, he told Kouji that the leader might be working with her subordinates to prepare further for the upcoming storm.

"I doubt it." Kouji spoke. "The Organization has already prepared for it this morning. As far as I know, and according to Teppei, there's no other preparations left to be done."

"Well then, all that is left would be to ask Teppei if he knows where the Leader and the General are." Takuya pointed out the plan, but it was another plan that Kouji shot down.

"I already done that." He said. "Teppei is as clueless as we are. That's why I'm searching all over the place for the Leader."

"I'm guessing your talk with the General is something important too?" Takuya asked as the two began walking once again, this time, to an unknown destination.

A nod was Kouji's reply. And seeing as the Vice Commander was not about to say anything else, Takuya went on. "Lord Kouji, do you think you can go check on Commander Orimoto?"

"The Commander? What for?" Kouji asked.

"Well, the Leader, the General and the Commander all seem to know each other pretty well… so, I am only guessing that they must be huddled up together in the Commander's room or something talking about old times." Takuya voiced out.

"Even though I am the Vice Commander to Commander Orimoto, I am not allowed into his quarters for any reason, much less for reasons that does not involve him in any way at all." Kouji sighed as he spoke of those words. "What do you think the Commander would say if I went inside his room and just ask to speak with the General? He certainly would find that rather offending."

"Offending?"

Kouji nodded with a grim expression on his face, it was his expression that sent Takuya's imagination flying and the reason why Takuya dropped the subject. Both men inwardly sighed seeing as their search for truth would have to be suspended yet again…

* * *

"Did he really open up to you like that?" the Leader, Yuriko, asked with a surprised expression on both her face and on the tone of her voice.

Ishige Orimoto nodded. "It would appear that the actions of the past are catching up with this generation."

"The Minami incident." Said the General in a thoughtful manner. "A mistake that should not have happened had we not been fooled by Hiroaki and the King into taking such action."

"The blame does not solely lie on Hiroaki and the King, Lord Kouta." Yuriko said. "We have all been warned by Lord Kousei, but it we did not believe his words at that time."

"We had been foolish back then." Ishige said in a melancholic tone. "And when the truth was finally revealed, Lord Kousei was already gone and the Minami children already separated."

"It isn't entirely foolish, Lord Ishige." Kouta Kimura said. "Kousei's sacrifice was not entirely in vain for we were able to hide the children for as long as we could. If Kousei had not sacrificed himself, Takuya, Izumi, Kouji and Kouichi, as well as their friends, would already have been captured by now and the incident that happened 200 years ago would have repeated itself."

"What are we to do in this situation, Lord Kouta?" Yuriko asked.

"I do not know as to what extent we should plan on, but one thing is certain, we cannot keep Izumi here much longer. The enemy would surely attack us anytime soon." The General replied.

"But, there are no bases left that belongs to the Organization. The King and Hiroaki made sure to destroy all the other bases." Yuriko said. "Besides that, the enemy would surely suspect that something is wrong should they attack and find no resistance here."

"That is why we will all remain here and act as if we have not read of their plans." The General said. "The only one who would have to be sent off would be Izumi."

"Are you kidding me, Lord Kouta?" exclaimed Izumi's father in protest. "There is no way I would allow my daughter to travel alone."

"Then send Takuya Kanbara along with her." Countered the General which earned him a surprised look from both the Leader and the Commander.

"You cannot be seriously proposing to let him, of all people, take care of my daughter."

"I am serious of this, and we both know to what lengths the young man would go in order to ensure that your daughter is safe from any harm." The General went on. "We cannot send all the Chosen Ones with her, we need them here as bait. What's more, those two are the only ones being targeted by the clone. It would only be logical to send them away in order to keep both of them safe."

"How can you be certain that he would not go and betray us?" Ishige once again brought that topic up.

"Ishige, how many times do you have to see for yourself the sincerity in Takuya's heart?" Yuriko finally spoke up. "He would not let us down."

"I know the boy, Ishige, and so do you." The General Kimura added. "Hiroaki's blood may flow through his veins, but if there are things that he resembles Hiroaki, it would be the positive things in him. You were the one who said you were beginning to like the boy."

Ishige gritted his teeth unable to answer. It was true that such a plan was a logical course of action for them to take, an action that would ensure that the King and Hiroaki Kanbara would not get their hands on what they want the most. Even though he did not like the plan all that much, Ishige Orimoto resigned himself from the debate.

"Be sure to tell your daughter of this the moment she wakes up, Lord Ishige." General Kimura said.

"Fine." Was all the Commander could reply.

Then, Kouta Kimura turned his attention to the only female in the group. "Tell me, Yuriko, have you told Takuya the story yet?"

The Leader shook her head. "He already has too much in his mind, such a revelation would only confuse him more. Once things have settled down, then I will tell him."

"Then I guess there will still be some secrets that the three of us has to keep." General Kimura muttered.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**Post Author's Notes:**

I really do not know the reason why I can type so many things in this fanfic as opposed to the other fanfic that I am working on right now. I guess it has something to do with the number of reviews I get per chapter of this fanfic compared to the reviews per chapter on Chronicles of Time: Cyber World.

Anyways, for those who haven't voted yet, the poll closes on the last day of this month (July). So, ifyou haven't voted yet, be sure to do so and as for those who have already voted, well, then, just sit back and wait for the end of the poll to see the results.

I'm still looking for seiyuus of the characters. Spots are still open for the development team so those who are interested drop me a line and I'll tell you more details there.

I have to tell you guys that I am quite happy with the stats that I am getting from this fanfic, which is another reason why I enjoy writing it. Your reviews and the number of hits on every chapter is enough fuel to keep me writing.

Anyways, be on the look out for the next chapter which I have no idea when I will be able to upload it, lol. Sorry about that. It's hard when you're on your senior year in college – to much to do and so little time.

Well, I've written far enough. It's time for me to rest for now. So, until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and reminding you all to review and to always take care!

**End of Post Author's Notes:**

* * *


	43. Ravens in the Moonless Night

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, I decided to update this fanfic first before CoT:CW, so for those who also read that fanfic, I am sorry. But do not fret, I would be updating that fanfic soon.

Now, the polls have been closed, more of which would be told later at the Post Author's Note part of this chapter. Another thing, I would like to once again thank everyone who had been reading and reviewing this story. Although this chapter is quite short, I do hope that you all would like it as we open up another arc in our story.

So, with that said, read on and I hope you enjoy!

**End of Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Ravens is the Moonless Night**

* * *

"Certainly, you cannot be tired already, Izumi." Said the silver-haired, Haruko. "We have only just begun after all."

Izumi wheezed, breathing heavily after what felt like a life-time's worth of training. "How can I not be tired?" She asked in a voice that points out the obvious. "How do you expect me to deflect your attacks by not borrowing your power?"

"A Chosen One's power does not rely solely on her Guardian Spirit." It was the line that Haruko had said soon after their training had begun and a line that she kept on repeating over and over again. "You would do well to remember that."

"Even if I remember those words, they hold no meaning to me unless you explain exactly where I am supposed to get my power from." Izumi was sounding agitated. Who would not? After all, her mentor had been barraging her with attacks that otherwise would have been used against an enemy.

"Lady Kanon, when she trained me, told me those words and did not bother to explain me what it meant." Haruko said. "It is part of your training to realize the answer to your question. If you are unable to find it then, I am afraid there is no point in this training."

Izumi had no choice but to resign in the argument. There was no way she could win against Haruko's way of thinking – which was also how she figured the first Chosen One of the Wind was also like. And with that, their training resumed.

* * *

The rain continued to pour in the island city of Shore. Its intensity getting higher and higher as the storm approaches. Although it was only half-past two, the darkness caused by the incoming storm made it seem like it was already evening.

Despite their search for the General and the Leader, they were unable to find neither one of them. And so, even though both Takuya and Kouji felt the importance of finding them, they ended up giving up in the process and decided to ask whatever questions that they had in mind later that evening during supper.

Having abandoned their search, both men went their separate ways. Kouji, as a high-ranking knight was asked by one of the members of the organization to help in their rounds in the city proper – a task that Kouji was more than happy to accept having nothing else to do and no way to train. Takuya, on the other hand, decided to return to Izumi's room to check up on her and maybe meet with her father to ask if he had seen the Leader.

When Takuya got to her room however, there was no sign of the Commander and only Tomoki was around.

"Did you find the Leader?" Tomoki greeted him with the question as soon as he saw Takuya enter the room.

Takuya shook his head. "No. Lord Kouji and I searched all over the place but we can not find her."

"Maybe she really is busy. Anyways, Takuya, why was Lord Kouji looking for her as well?"

Takuya sat down on the chair where Junpei had been sitting at earlier that afternoon as he replied, "Well, he wanted to talk with the General. But General Kimura was not in his usual quarters so he thought that he might have been transferred to a different room so, he wanted to ask the Leader where he was."

Tomoki thought for a moment as he gazed on Izumi's sleeping face. And, after a while, he spoke. "Takuya, Izumi would now be the target of the Kingdom now that she is the only one of us whom they haven't extracted any powers from, isn't that right?"

Takuya followed Tomoki's gaze and nodded. There was no secret about that.

"You're worried about that, aren't you?" the younger of the two stated rather than inquired.

Another nod from Takuya. "I know she's pretty capable of defending herself if the need arises but, circumstances like what happened in Lone Isle could occur again. What's more, before that whole fiasco there, I had been certain that as long as the Clone was in command, he would never hurt her. However, now that Chiaki had her grudge against us well-known, I couldn't help but worry about her even more."

Tomoki stayed silent. He had heard about what had happened in the tower before it collapse – or rather, the reason why it collapsed. He had heard of how Chiaki, their former friend and ally, had wanted to get rid of Izumi believing that she was a hindrance in her quest to obtain Takuya's feelings and how Takuya had rushed in to save Izumi just in the nick of time. He had heard all of this from Izumi while they were on their way back from Shore soon after the scene her father made on the deck.

"Say, Tomoki…" Takuya said as Tomoki was snapped out of his thoughts. "You know a lot about the legends and myths of our land, right?"

"Only as much as what is told in my village." Tomoki replied.

"Then, apart from what you told us before about Chosen Ones and all of that, do you know of any legends that would give light as to why the King and my father would do all this?" Takuya asked. "Harim doesn't have the answers and I don't suppose the Organization knows much about it as we do."

"Unfortunately," answered Tomoki, "Knowledge beyond what Chosen Ones are and what they are capable of are the only thing that the Village Elder spoke to me about. If there were such legends or myths, it must be a taboo for our village since no villager spoke of it and the Elder did not bother to tell me about it."

"Another dead end then, I suppose." Sighed Takuya. He had wanted to find out the answer to the question that had been bugging him for a while now. He wanted to know the reason behind all that is happening. He wanted the mysteries to end and his life to return to how normal it was back before all of this started. He wanted so much that he suddenly felt ashamed of himself for thinking selfishly when the fate of the world could possibly rest on the events that would transpire in the days to come.

"Takuya, are you ready just in case Izumi's father suddenly decide to send her away?" Asked Tomoki. The question was all too sudden that Takuya was unable to answer the question. "It is a possibility, you know."

Takuya shrugged. He had absolutely no idea on the matter and so he rather kept his mouth shut than say something that he actually did not mean to say. It was soon after that, that Tomoki left after being called by Junpei who had been asked to help with the evacuation of the citizens living near the harbor.

As he was once again alone with Izumi, Takuya looked intently at her sleeping face. He noted how peaceful the Commander's daughter was and how dazzling she was even in her sleep and smiled. Although he was still worried of her condition, he knew how strong Izumi can be and so he did not feel as worried as he first was when she suddenly collapsed.

However, if Takuya had only known what was happening deep within Izumi's inner sub consciousness, then it would not be hard to imagine how worried he would be of her.

Hours had passed and although the storm raged outside, there was peace and tranquility in the manor, which had became crowded since the evacuees where all sent there.

In the middle of the sea of people that had found shelter in the said place was the Commander Orimoto, the General Kimura, and the Leader of the Organization whose name only the two old men knew.

"I did not expect that you would allow all of these people in." Commander Orimoto said. "I know that you are kind-hearted, however, do you really believe it to be safe for them to stay in the place where the enemy might strike?"

The Leader kept her calm and collected demeanor despite the clamor in the manor and all of her added responsibilities because of the choice, and she kept this up as she answered the Commander's query.

"It's all for the safety of both Takuya and Izumi." She replied saying no more than she should in case someone else was listening in to their conversation. She then asked, "So tell me, have you met with him yet, General?"

General Kimura shook his head. "Although I did say that I would answer his questions should he come and see me, it would be best for now to let him come to me rather than I come to him. And seeing as how you have turned your base into an evacuation center and asked for his help, it would be near impossible to discuss the matter with him now."

"You would have to make time, Lord Kouta." Commander Orimoto said with his arms crossed and his face etched with the same stiffness that it always bore when in public. "Based from what we know and what we have been told, should that person come 'he' would be the one that person would seek. If we are to add that person to our forces, "he" must know the truth."

"Ah, a lecture from you. That certainly is not something I would have expected of for tonight, Lord Ishige." Kouta Kimura said with a hint of laughter in his voice. But that light-hearted tone changed as he added, "However, one must wonder why you are still here when you should be confronting young Takuya. It would be quite pointless, to some extent, that which we are doing now should the enemy arrive and find them still here."

Commander Orimoto looked disdained as he answered, "To use these people and the storm as a cover for them is certainly harsh, Lord Kouta. I cannot help but not agree with this at all for as you know, my daughter is still unconscious. Traversing in such a weather at such a condition is certainly not a safe bet."

"But it is safer than having them stay here." Yuriko said in a hushed manner. "If we were to think of the current predicament they have using their perception, then it would come to a conclusion that they too would be using the storm as a cover. To choose between the ferocity of the storm and the dangers of facing an enemy that would certainly not hold back against them in attaining the last piece that they need to complete their plan, the choice would be rather too obvious for us."

Ishige Orimoto sighed. He can never win against them in such a debate. Despite reluctant with their plan, he had no choice and so he excused himself as he walked past all the evacuees to Izumi's room where he could guess Takuya Kanbara would be.

* * *

Izumi managed to dodge a powerful blast which was directed at her from her mentor and guardian, Haruko. Such a feat did not go unnoticed to her mentor as she pointed out how Izumi had began to sense when she would attack and from what direction the attack would be coming from despite not showing any signs of doing said attack.

"You are learning to utilize the natural energy around you, Izumi." Haruko said as she applauded Izumi for having evaded the attack. "However, the natural energy is not enough should you wish to be successful in defending yourself and in fighting your opponent."

"Although you say that, Haruko, I still do not understand what you mean by utilizing the natural energy." Izumi admitted in between her panting.

"Natural energy. That's what we call the energy that surrounds us. In other words, using the energy that one could find in the life of the world we live in – in the wind, the grass, the trees, and everything around us." Haruko explained yet again, trying to be clear this time on the matter. "However, even in using the natural energy alone is not enough. To be able to fully use your ability as a Chosen One, you must learn to use your spiritual and physical energies and merge them with the natural energy to create an even stronger energy that only Chosen Ones such as ourselves can utilize. By feeling and understanding that which surrounds you, you are utilizing the natural energy. However, you have not fully mastered that yet."

"But, I do not feel any different even as you say that I am already using natural energy." Izumi said.

"You do not need to physically feel anything." Haruko further explained. "Besides which, you won't be able to truly feel natural energy unless you have mastered controlling your spiritual energy and physical energy. Which is why, we will move on to that now."

Izumi noticed how much Kaizen, or should she say, Haruko, was rushing things. And she voiced this out to her before they went on with their training.

"I have told you before, have I not?" She replied as she moved to a shade under a large cherry blossom tree. "I have so much to teach you and so little time. I do not know how long it would take for you to be able to come back to this place should our training be stopped since it takes a lot out of me just to call you to this place."

"You keep on saying that we have little time." Izumi said noticing it yet again. "What do you mean?"

"Enough with the questions, Izumi." Haruko said in a stern voice which surprised the young Orimoto. "There are more important things right now than asking those questions. Now, let us concentrate with the task at hand and nothing more, nothing less."

* * *

She was becoming more and more volatile the more they drew closer to their destination. It would seem that even with the intensity of the storm for an airborne vehicle such as the one they were using, it would still not be able to stop them from forcing their way through.

"In only a couple more hours we would be arriving to that place, brother." Chiaki said as her eyes glinted of pure excitement and bloodlust – the same could be said of her brother. "Once we get there, I will be able to deal with that wretched woman."

Terou merely grunted. It was enough of a response for Chiaki, however.

As Chiaki visualized all of the things that she could do to her foe, and as she gave details of such visualization to her brother, Kouichi continued to remain silent where he sat. He could not help but think of how pathetic the woman was acting and how she would fall from the Clone's good graces should any of her plans come to pass.

As moments passed, and Chiaki still went on and on of her possible plans, Kouichi grew impatient of her and annoyed at the noise that she was making. And so, he decided to point out the rather obvious thing that would happen should she succeed.

"What would you gain should you manage to kill her?" Kouichi said without any expression on his face, save that of annoyance. "You would only be able to hurt Kanbara and maybe end up dead yourself should he come at you with the full force of his hatred and revenge. Should you succeed in escaping his wrath, you would face an equal amount of wrath from our master, if not more."

"What do you know?" She snorted.

"I know as much that the reason why you agreed to go with this is to satisfy Lord Takuya, our master and win his favor." Kouichi said as he looked away from her and stared at outside through the porthole of the airship. "Even if you are merely fantasizing about those things which you say you would do to Lady Izumi, you would certainly not win either the clone or the original's heart with it. What's more, just so you know, the reason why I came along was because I was ordered to make sure that you indeed DO NOT kill Lady Izumi."

"And who gave you that orders?"

Kouichi let out a small sigh and looked at her with his crimson colored orbs, "Lord Takuya himself."

His response was enough to make Chiaki stop her babbling, and for this he was content… for the moment, that is.

* * *

"You cannot be serious, Commander Orimoto." Said Takuya as he stood up from his seat after hearing from the Commander that he, along with the Leader and the General, have all agreed to send Izumi away to safety at that moment. "At such a raging storm, it is not safe to traverse the waters surrounding Shore."

"I know that, Lord Takuya." Commander Orimoto said. Takuya's response was the same thing he had said earlier on to his two friends. "However, we could not afford to wait any longer in sending her away. As much as I do not like this plan, it is the only way we have to ensure that the King would not get his hands on her or her power."

Lightning struck and the sound of thunder echoed throughout Shore as silence fell between the Commander and Takuya. Takuya gritted his teeth. He agreed that running away from the place would safe Izumi, however, rushing through the storm is no laughing matter and is certainly not as easy and everyone would make it out to be.

"I know it's dangerous, Lord Takuya." The Commander said after a while. "As her father, I have reservations about it as well. Traversing the ocean of Shore to get to the continent even with the use of the latest technology brought by the Organization at such a weather as this could spell death but, even if there is a smallest chance that she would be safe elsewhere, I would take it. As much as I do not want to admit it, the Leader and the General is right… you would protect her at all cost, that is why I will entrust my daughter's safety in your hands as you flee from this place."

The words of the Commander surprised Takuya Kanbara. He had not expected to hear those words from him, nor did he expect that he would actually let him go with his daughter, with Izumi.

"I had thought that you would be sending Lord Kouji for this, sir." Takuya voiced out his surprise. "Why are you letting me handle this?"

Ishige Orimoto turned around as he spoke to look at his sleeping daughter's face. "For some reason, our enemy still wants to take hold of you. It is the wish of the General and the Leader that you would flee with Izumi as you both are being targeted by the same people. They seem to believe that it would ensure both of your safety. I would have rather preferred Lord Kouji for this, but he has something else he needs to do – something that only he could do. And I also understand the importance of ensuring my daughter's safety and your safety as well…"

Takuya followed the Commander's gaze and silence once again fell in the room with only the splatter of the rain on the tiled roof of the mansion and the constant sound of thunder to be heard.

"Where would take her then, Commander Orimoto?" Takuya asked after a while. "Most of the continent is already under the influence of the King."

"There is a chance," said the Commander, "that the enemy will manage to capture most of us and do things that would make us tell whatever information we know of. For that, Lord Takuya, I cannot give you any advice nor should you tell me where you will be headed."

Takuya saw the point in this and nodded.

"Preparations for your departure had already been made." The Commander said as he moved towards his daughter and touched her face. "Everything you would be needing has already been taken care of. The Omni-Craft is already prepared and have already undergone serious maintenance for your trip. I suggest you take this time now to escape from this place and I advice you not to tell even your closest friends and your fellow Chosen Ones that you are leaving much less where you are going."

Takuya could not believe how everything was already in order. It would appear that he finally know the reason why he could not find the Leader nor the General earlier. He then watched as the Commander gave his daughter a peck on the cheek and stood up.

"Would you be seeing us off then, Commander?" Takuya asked as he moved closer to the older man.

The Commander shook his head. "No, and the Leader and General would also not be able to see you off. It would be better this way."

"Commander, there's so much I want to ask you. So many things that I have the feeling you would be able to give me answers to." Takuya said as the Commander looked at him with a somber expression on his face. "There are also things which I want to clarify with the Leader and the General… But I won't press on the matter for now. I know we would all meet again someday, and maybe then you can tell me all that I want to know – all that I need to know."

"Should that time come, then you would have certainly earned the right to ask your questions." Replied Commander Orimoto. "And perhaps, by that time, I would have learn to trust you by my own judgment."

Takuya grinned his grin full of confidence. The way Takuya looked reminded the Commander once again of the boyish face Hiroaki Kanbara once had.

As he made his way out of Izumi's room, Ishige Orimoto abruptly stopped at the doorway, turned his head around and said to Takuya: "Lord Takuya, I really hope that what the Leader says about you is true. Although I do know you from your childhood, I do not know what impact everything that has happened have on your life and your principles. Should the time come that you would be faced with the same situation that your father had faced long ago, I hope that, unlike him, you would make the right decision. Take another route out of the mansion, and make sure that no one sees you."

And with that, he left.

The words of the Commander confused the young Kanbara. He did not know what decision the Commander was talking about nor of what event he was talking about. It was perhaps another question that was reserved for their next meeting.

Seeing that this was the opportune moment for them to make their so-called escape, Takuya moved towards Izumi and took her in his arms. With her head resting on his chest, Takuya sneaked out of the manor through the back door and made his way to the harbor, which had already been evacuated, and then towards the lone vehicle sitting on the rolling waves of the ocean.

Carefully, Takuya boarded the ship and placed Izumi on the bed in one of the cabins. It would appear, based on what he saw the insides of the Omni-Craft, that the maintenance of the said vehicle included adding another option of what to change the Omni-Craft into. And this time, the Omni-Craft would allow them to traverse the air and the sea at the same time, which would make their travels easier.

Takuya then started the engine of the Omni-Craft. He figured that since the waters are rough at the moment, the enemy, should they decide to come to Shore at that moment, would be using the skies. For that, he decided to stick on the water.

As the Omni-Craft's engine went to life and as it slowly ebbed away from the harbors of Shore, Takuya took one last look back at the Organization's headquarters. In his heart he swore, that he would do anything to protect Izumi and he hoped that his friends, and those he had met in the manor would be alright. And with that he sped his way from Shore.

* * *

The Leader watched as the Omni-Craft darted through the raging waves of the ocean and away from Shore and from her field of vision.

She prayed for their safety. She prayed that they would be able to make their way to the continent without any problems. As she was praying, she noticed a lone raven sitting by the branch of a dead tree near the harbor.

Seeing the raven she felt at ease. Call her old fashioned, but she believes that ravens guide travelers to their destination. That the sight of a solitary raven is considered good luck while more than one raven together predicts trouble ahead.

However, just as she was about to turn around and walk away from her window. She caught sight of something fluttering, and upon closer inspection, she saw that it was not just one raven, but a flock of ravens.

Worry once again filled her as she wondered whether this was a sign of a catastrophe to come to both Takuya and Izumi and those that were left behind in Shore.

* * *

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**Post Author's Notes:**

Well, that's about it for this chapter.

As I have said, this chapter serves as a "Prelude" for the new Arc of the story. The Continental Arc.

With that said, let's move on to the results of the poll (dun-dun-dun-dun).

You can check the results out in my profile, but if you are too lazy to do so and would rather hear it from here, then read on.

We have 11 votes in total for the poll. 1 vote went against playing the game and another vote gave a "Maybe" answer which leaves us with 9 votes in favor of the game. Now, I had mentally (and I may have 

noted it as well) noted that should I receive 10 votes in favor of the game, that I would release it. However, 9 votes is still not so bad so I will think it through still.

Now, in concerns with the game. Seiyuu spots for every single character in this fanfic (minus Chiaki and Izumi) are still open for those who want to voice act any of the parts in this story, just drop me a line. Also, the rest of the development team is practically still open – lots of spots need to be filled in. Those who are interested are welcome to join.

I would also be releasing an OST for the game sometime soon (as long as the seiyuus needed have joined) and this Soundtrack would be available for download. Where to download it would be announced as soon as it is finished, copyrighted and licensed.

Well, that's about it for now. Don't forget to review on this chapter, okay?

Once again, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out.

Until next time! Take care, everyone!

**End of Post Author's Notes**

* * *


	44. Kousei's Story

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic  
By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry about the delay everyone. My college thesis defense was so unbelievable bewildering and frustrating which is the reason why I am unable to update any of my fanfics and why this certain chapter got uploaded a little off my schedule.  
Thanks to my defense as well, I am unable to answer any emails that have found its way into my inbox and I may not be able to answer any of them anytime soon – well, at least not until the whole thesis fiasco has come and gone (which thankfully, we are now on the Revision Phase).  
AHEM. Anyways, enough about that. Please enjoy reading what I could conjure up as I await any word from our adviser about a certain something.

Another thing, to everyone who has been very supportive with this fanfic and to those who have continually read this and reviewed, and to those who added to the hits, I have made a little "gift" for all of you. It's a little something which more information could be found on my profile, so be sure to check it our after reading this chapter.

**End of Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Kousei's Story**

* * *

Thunder roared across the darkness. The powerful gusts of wind wailed and howled as trees swayed violently. The intense rain brought by the storm continued to fall creating ripples in the ocean which turns into large waves crashing through the harbor with as much force as it could muster.

In the midst of such ferocity, two figures stood locked in a battle. Neither cared much of their surroundings, nor of the fact that they were already soaking wet. Their concentration was so powerful that the fatigue that one would normally feel under such conditions never registered into their minds.

"What are you doing?" Shouted Chiaki, as she grew impatient of their prolonged battle which had turned into a staring contest more than anything else. "Finish him off already!"

"Shut up, woman!" Shouted Kouichi as lightning streaked across the sky and the sound of thunder soon followed. "Do not tell me what I should do for this does not concern you!"

Kouichi's eyes, which glimmered with pure hatred and malice every time the lightning flashed across the sky and give shadow to his face, was enough to silence Chiaki who did not bother to hide her distaste for the young man in the foray.

Kouichi then faced his foe and asked with a demanding voice, "Tell me! What do you mean by that? What do you know about me?"

Kouji stared back at him. There was seriousness in his face as well as conviction for the task at hand. With his sword in front of him, held by both of his hands over the hilt, he spoke: "I know… the truth…"

* * *

Takuya found it very hard to steer the Omni-craft thanks to the lashing waves and the very strong winds. To fly at such a condition would be suicidal, but to challenge the seas was no different. Despite this, he had no choice but to continue on, there was a hint of determination on his face as he guided the said craft to their destination while stealing glances at the sleeping figure of Izumi.

He still could not understand what was taking her so long to awaken, nor of how one could sleep so soundly in such a state that both of them were in. He was worried much on her safety than his own, and this was nothing new to the young man.

A sudden jolt caused by being hit by another large wave cut him off of his thoughts of the sleeping woman who had caught his heart. He shook his head of whatever thoughts were in it, to focus on the task at hand – finding a safe place to dock the Omni-craft and to wait out the storm.

* * *

"What truth do you speak of?" Kouichi shouted as their blades locked once again.

"I think you know what it is very well, Kouichi." Kouji shouted back.

"Is this one of your tricks?" came another question, "A trick to catch me off guard or perhaps to make me falter in this battle. You should know that no such trick would work on me."

"Is that what you keep on telling yourself?" retorted the knight, "I can see it in your eyes, Kouichi. Your heart is already faltering."

* * *

**Four hours ago_…_**

"Hurry, make sure that all civilians have already been evacuated." Ordered Kouji as he directed several of the Organization's volunteers. "Search the harbor for any civilian that has yet to evacuate, make sure that the harbor is free of any people. We do not want casualties from this storm!"

"Yes sir!" shouted the volunteers as they scampered their way to follow Kouji's orders.

General Kimura stood watching at how the young Vice-Commander ordered the men and he saw what Commander Orimoto saw in the young man to hold him such high regard. He smiled as he could not believe how matured Kousei's son had become and how he was so much like his father.

The General cleared his throat, and the sound of it made Kouji whirl around to see who it was only to be surprised.

"General, what brings you here?" Kouji asked. "Is there something you need?"

"There is something, I came here to have a word with you, Lord Kouji." The General replied as he moved towards Kouji, his armor clanging as he walked.

"A word with me? Can I ask on what matter?"

"This is not the place to discuss it, have someone take over your duties and come with me."

Kouji nodded. He then called for Teppei and Junpei to handle things in his post then followed the older man into a room not too far from where they had met. Once the room was closed and both men were seated, Kouji repeated his earlier query.

"What is it that you wish to speak to me about that we have to speak in private, Lord Kimura?" Kouji asked.

"I have heard that it was you who spoke with my grandson back on Lone Isle." General Kimura spoke, at what he said Kouji nodded. "Then, I suspect that he already said some things – disturbing and confusing things."

Kouji remembered the words that Kouichi spoke during their battle, about what he was doing as something he deserved, about how he spoke of his grandfather's deeds. He nodded as he answered, "Yes, I still cannot understand what his words meant, but I suspect that you know full well of what this is all about, General?"

The older man nodded. "I believe I do, however, I do not know how much the King has poisoned his mind already of what 'truth' he had told him. However, if you wish, as Takuya did, to break him from the chains of darkness that bind him now, then you must listen to what I have to say… of this story that I am to tell you."

Kouji nodded once more, and braced himself for what he felt would be a long story.

* * *

The sound of clashing swords and thunder echoed through the forest as they made their escape. They knew that they were being chased, they knew that Chiaki's brother was after them. They could not stop to rest lest Kouji's sacrifice be in vain, but the weight that was caused by the storm was already tiring them and should they be unable to make haste, they knew that _he_ would be catching up with them soon.

"How far before we get to your ship, Leader?" the Commander asked making sure not to mention her name.

"We're almost there." She replied.

"At this rate," Teppei said as he ran along with the group, "that guy will catch up to us."

"Yes, I agree." The General said, "It would appear that the King and Takuya's father had modified that Minami child into a monstrous machine capable of withstanding anything. If we do not hurry, we can be sure that all our efforts would be in vain."

Silence amongst them filled the stormy air. They were focused to make it through the dense forest and into the ship that the Leader had prepared for their escape. All of them were hoping to make it, and all of them were hoping for Kouji to be victorious in his battle, and in whatever he had in mind asking to stay behind and make sure that neither Chiaki nor Kouichi would come after them.

After a while Teppei stopped running and turned around. This caught everyone's attention.

"Teppei, what do you think you're doing?" Asked the Leader.

"Don't mind me, Leader." Teppei replied. "Leave that guy to me, I'll buy you guys enough time to get to that ship of yours."

"That's suicide Master Teppei." Commander Orimoto spoke. "Have you not heard a word that Lord Kimura said? That guy, Terou Minami, has been enhanced. He is not just an ordinary Chosen One, he is much stronger, perhaps even as strong as Takuya's Clone. You cannot hope to defeat him."

"I do not plan to." Teppei replied, his backed turned on them but his voice held conviction that told them not to argue and just run. "I just plan to stall him long enough for everyone to reach the ship, after that, just come and pick both Kouji and I up. I know I won't be able to beat him, but I can at least hold him down long enough, so run!"

They were supposed to argue further, but Teppei summoned his powers and created a barrier between him and them. Before he run back to face Terou, he shouted to them, "Now go! Run!"

* * *

The General took a deep breath before he began his story.

"Seventeen years ago, the King unearthed an ancient text speaking of a power that Kings of Old held in their grasp. It was the power of the Dragons, so the text speaks. It was said that Ten Elemental Dragons descended upon the earth two centuries ago when the Kingdom of Frontiria was first established, as a gift to the first King of the Old Kingdom, the Dragons granted him protection in the form of ten orbs sealed with each of the dragons' powers.

"With the power of the Ten 'Dragon Orbs' as it was called back then, the Kingdom of Frontiria grew in strength and became feared throughout. However, as the power of the Kingdom grew, the Kings that followed grew more and more ambitious. Each wanting to surpass the other. Each wanting their territory to expand, thus, wars broke out more frequently than before the arrival of the Dragons.

"The ancient manuscript that was unearthed beneath the kingdom spoke of such horrifying war where the orbs were used for destruction, for conquest, and eventually for evil. As the story goes, the Ten Elemental Dragons, once again appeared to stop the madness, destroying the orbs and releasing its power… a power that, as it goes, did not vanish entirely, but resided on a person with pure heart and a sense of justice. These people, chosen by the Elemental Dragons themselves, are what are now known as 'Chosen Ones'.

"Of course, when the manuscript was dug out and translated, the King was fascinated by it. He wanted to know if such Chosen Ones still exists to this day. Because of that, he ordered a search – far and wide, for any humans possessing the characteristics of a chosen one that were written. Those who knew of this, are only the 4 Generals and the 4 Commanders that go with them as they were the ones personally ordered by the King to search for such 'legendary' beings.

"Years passed since the ancient texts were unearthed, and four children began manifesting strange powers. Their parents saw this and they knew of what it meant. Two of this four children are, of course, Takuya Kanbara and Izumi Orimoto. Now, you can see the dilemma that their parents faced. The King had, at that point in time, gave a strange order to capture anyone who manifests powers resembling that of what was written in the ancient texts. Hiroaki Kanbara and Ishige Orimoto knew that they cannot hand their children over to the King. They knew that they would have to hide them from him, who had now become strangely hungry for power. The same went for the father of the two other children who manifested powers resembling that of a Chosen One. As I was with the father of the two other children, and as they are also dear to me, I knew that I too would have to keep them safe from the King's grasp.

"Imagine our luck when the three other Generals called for us all to tell us that they had found a child who they believed to be a Chosen One. At first, Hiroaki, Ishige, the father of the two other children, and myself, were worried that perhaps one of the children we are now hiding had been found. We were able to breathe a sigh of relief when we were told that it was a child from the Minami family – a well-known family from the country of Oto.

"During the mission to retrieve the Minami child, the father of the two children was sent on a reconnaissance mission before hand. During which, he found disturbing things concerning the King and his plan of conquering the entire world with the use of the ancient power. He had learned that there was more to the ancient text than what we have been allowed to read. He had, in other words, learned of the King's true intent – to unlock the Gates of Gaia.

"The Gates of Gaia, we never did learn of what it was or what it contained, but from his final letter, it foretold of a great catastrophe that would befall the earth should the King's plan come into fruition. It also told of what would happen should all ten Chosen Ones be gathered. Not only would the host of the Dragons' powers be killed from whatever ceremony he had learned of, but it would also spell doom to mankind. We, of course, did not believe it at first and despite having been warned, we set out to carry our mission of handing the Minami child to the King along with four others who we made the king believe to be Chosen Ones in order to save those that were in our care…You can imagine how wrong we were when we soon learned that the person who risked his life to deliver us such information regarding the King's plan, was murdered."

"I don't understand," Kouji said. "What this has to do with Kouichi."

"Kouichi, was one of the two other children who was kept safe in exchange for the lives of the others who we have handed to the King." The General answered, a pained expression in his face as he went on. "I believe, the King and Hiroaki told him a bended truth and made him believe that it was his fault why several others were sacrificed."

"Can that also be the reason why he believes that the manifestation of the monsters are the manifestation of his power, General?"

"Yes, I believe so. The negative thoughts and feelings that were instilled in him by the King and Hiroaki are driving him to believe that that is what his power is only capable of doing. They have twisted his beliefs in such a way that he can no longer see the light in the dark tunnel of which he is currently in."

"Then, what does this have to do with me?" Kouji asked. "I understand that I may be able to save him from darkness using the power of light that I have, but why is there a need for me to learn of this?"

"The man who sacrificed himself to learn the truth, he was my daughter's husband." The General spoke. "He was Kouichi's father… and, he is also yours, Kouji."

"What are you talking about? What nonsense is this, General?"

"His name is Kousei Minamoto." The General spoke and he saw Kouji's eyes widen.

"That's not possible. I do not have a brother, I am an only child. Both of my parents have been dead for as long as I remember and it was only Lord Orimoto who raised me as a child. How can your words be possibly true?"

"When your father died, when Kousei died, your mother and I came to an agreement that both you and your twin brother be separated to ensure that you are both safe and hidden from the King and the other Generals and Commanders. It was also the reason why Lord Orimoto moved his family away and why both he and Lord Kanbara agreed to seal away Takuya and Izumi's memories. And why your memories as well as Kouichi's were also erased."

"Wait a minute, twin brother?" Kouji asked, taken aback. He did not expect Kouichi to be his brother, much less his twin. "And you are also saying that our memories were erased?"

The General nodded. "Erased and new memories were forged into your minds."

"Then what of my mother then? Where is she? Is she still alive?"

"Tomoko, died shortly after she had taken Kouichi to the Academy." Came the somber reply.

Silence filled the air as neither wished to talk further. Kouji was confused. He did not know what to think. Such a revelation was not something he had expected to find when he pursued the quest to know the truth about the younger Kimura, but no matter how much he denied it, he could not deny the fact that his heart was telling him that the old man's words held no lie in them – that everything he had heard at that moment was the truth.

"I think I understand now," Kouji spoke after a while surprising the General as he did so. "I understand why I have this strange feeling that I should be saving him. Why I have this inkling to bring him back to his senses. Before, I thought it was because of the power within me. I thought it was because of the fact that I was light and he was darkness, but now I understand… there's more to it than that."

"Then, you also understand why you should be the one to save him?"

"Yes, I do."

* * *

"I understand the pain that you are going through now more than ever, Kouichi." Kouji spoke once more amidst the cries of thunder and the howls of the wind. "What I told you before that you are not alone, I meant it. I really do."

"How can you understand?" Retorted Kouichi. "The pain of knowing the truth. Of finding out the reason why your father died, the reason why you lost your mother, the reason why you lost your family? You can never understand because you never went through all of that!"

"You're wrong! I do understand for now I know the truth, not just about you but about myself as well, Kouichi." Kouji answered back, there was no way he was going to lose this fight. "We are not your enemy, those people – the King and his mind, they twisted everything. What you have come to know as your 'truth' isn't entirely the truth."

"What do you mean by that? What DO you know?"

"Enough talking already, Kouchi! Finish him off!" Chiaki screamed, she was losing her patience, what's more, she knew that she had to rush over to the runaways if she wishes to get her hands on Izumi. 'If only he didn't place a barrier here, then I would have run after them as well' She thought.

Annoyed at the interruption that Chiaki was always causing, Kouichi directed his attack at her sending her off flying.

Wounded and shocked at the attack, she cursed him. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"I told you to shut up!" Kouichi said. "Say one more word and I shall make sure that you will be unable to speak any more."

She gritted her teeth. "You'll pay for this, Kimura. I'll make sure of it."

With a puff of smoke, she retreated to their aircraft to recuperate.

"That should keep any interruptions from happening. Now, speak!" Kouichi said as he turned to face Kouji. "Tell me, what is it that you know of me?"

Kouji lowered his weapon and looked Kouichi straight in the eye. He paused before he replied with all of the things that he had learned from the older Kimura.

"H-how do you know of such things?" Kouichi asked, taken aback once again. "How is it that you know all of that? Did the old man tell you of them? Who are you really Kouji Minamoto?"

"Yes, the General did tell me about them, but not all of them." Kouji replied. "Some things I know for now I can hear the voice of your heart even more and it is your heart that told me of these things… "

"What are you saying? Who are you? What are you?"

"I am Kouji Minamoto, and I am… your twin brother."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Post Author's Notes:**

And with that Kouichi learns that Kouji is his brother DunDunDunDun…

Anyways, I really apologize for the uber delay that my stupid thesis has caused. I am quite glad that all I need to finish now are the revisions for the system and the documentation – a much easier task than what I had to go through.

Like I've said, to apologize, as well as to thank you all for your constant support for this fanfic, I have made a little present that you can learn more about in my profile. If you haven't seen it, then I suggest you take a look at what it is.

I don't know how well I manage to do this chapter since I am very tired. Sorry if it doesn't suite some people's tastes but that's all I can come up with at this time. Hopefully, I'll be able to update again before this week ends (probably this Thursday or Friday).

Anyhow, I'm really tired so I'll cut this short.

This is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out. Once again, so sorry for the delay guys and thanks for understanding! Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**

* * *


	45. Cry of the Heart

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, my thesis revisions are not yet finished but I still managed to update this fanfic. I just can't seem to force myself not to for some apparent reason, lol.

Anyways, thanks to all who reviewed the past chapter. I hope you guys also like the artwork that I've uploaded at DeviantArt concerning this fanfic. I'm working on a lot more (I've already done a picture of Takuya and uploaded it on that site under the name Sakura-Martinez, if you guys are interested) so keep a look out for that.

Well, no need to make you guys wait a little longer.

Hope you enjoy this new chapter.

**End of Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Cry of the Heart**

* * *

"Twin…Brother?!" Kouichi gasped in disbelief. "You lie! The King said that my brother died seventeen years ago as a guinea pig to test the prototype of the machine used for extraction, thanks to my grandfather!"

"Then the King lies!" Shouted Kouji back. "I would not lie just so I can turn you back to the just path. Can you not feel it in your heart the truth that I speak?"

"No!" Shouted Kouichi as he lounged yet again towards Kouji, who immediately readied himself to defend. "I refuse to accept it! I cannot accept it!"

"Why do you fear it so much, Kouichi?" Kouji asked as he dodged and parried, but not once raising his sword to strike back. "I know you can feel the truth in my words just as I did when I learned of it."

"My brother is dead!" Shouted Kouichi as if to reassure himself more than anything. "He is dead because my grandfather chose to use him as a test subject in order to protect a band of traitors who refused to give the King what he desired for the betterment of the Kingdom."

"The King has twisted the truth to his own desire." Kouji spoke calmly as he jumped back careful not to slip. "It is true that General Kimura chose to protect some people, but the truth is that we, along with Lady Izumi and Lord Takuya, were the ones being protected. What _our_ grandfather did, along with what Commander Orimoto and the now-General Kanbara did, by handing over Chiaki's brother to ensure our safety is what both Lady Izumi's father and _our_ Grandfather are regretting up to this day."

Kouichi's brow furrowed. He cannot accept the truth that is being handed to him. He did not even want to think of the possibility that the person standing before him is really his twin brother – the brother he had sword to get revenge for, his younger twin.

"Do you want to know something else, Kouichi. Something that I believe the King and the General Kanbara failed to tell you."

At this, Kouichi wondered what else Kouji would reveal to him.

"Our father… Lord Kousei Minamoto… was killed by the King's men when he found out the plan of the King and tried to warn Grandfather and the others." Kouji spat. "Father tried to warn them, but they did not believe it to be possible… they only learned of the truth far too late and the cost was far too great. It added another to the list of regrets of what they did. Now do you see? The person you are serving is not worthy of your service. The King and General Kanbara are only using you and your power as a Chosen One. Surely, you can see it even if you do not wish to accept it."

"And how can I know that what you speak of is the truth? How can I, who you are warning against the lies of the King and his people, know that you and the Organization are not planning on using me just the same?" Kouichi bellowed, there was a hint of confusion and anger in his voice.

Kouji closed his eyes and a moment of silence followed before he replied, "I can't prove to you. I only stand by what I believe is true and what my heart is telling me to believe. You're the only person who can answer your own question, Kouichi. Can you no longer hear it? The cry of the heart that pleads to you to listen? Have your heart truly been hardened by the King? If that is so, then I pity you now more than ever – you who have closed your heart to the voice of truth."

It was as if Kouji has struck a nerve on Kouichi, for with those words, Kouichi became enraged and once again began attacking Kouichi, summoning demonic creatures and pelting him with dark energy attacks whilst fighting with the sword. Kouji certainly has his hands full now.

But just as the battle was about to turn to the enemy's favor. Something happened…

_Ting_

Suddenly, Kouichi froze midway. He could have sworn he heard something.

"What was that?" Kouichi wondered to himself.

Kouji looked at him wondering what was wrong after he had barely managed to dodged an attack from one of Kouichi's demonic creatures, which vanished afterwards. Despite the look of confusion in his twin's eyes, Kouji chose not to lower his guard should this be a trick that Kouichi was playing.

_Ting_

"There it goes again…" Muttered Kouichi, who had associated the sound to that of a bell being struck. A sound one could normally hear at a cathedral. He looked around, wondering where the sound was coming from – scanning the area for any sign of a cathedral, but alas, there was none of that in Shore.

Kouichi tried to shake the loud chimes that he was apparently hearing in his head. But no matter how hard he tried, it still would not go away. Eventually, Kouji finally noticed that something was indeed wrong with his apparent twin. With his guard still up, he began moving towards Kouichi. Soon he was within arm's reach, but Kouichi was too distracted to notice.

Twin brother or not, when Kouji saw the look in Kouichi's eyes, he saw that something was wrong. He could not express what that look was, but he thought that if the King was controlling Kouichi, then what is happening to the young man could quite possibly be Kouichi fighting in his sub consciousness against the dark grip that was holding him captive. But just as he was about to reach out and grab Kouichi by the shoulder, something flew by and crash-landed on where Kouji was standing at a few minutes ago.

"What was that?!" Exclaimed Kouji as he whirled around. Kouichi on the other hand, remained in his trance-like state.

He could not tell what it was that hit the ground with such force thanks to the smoke. But, when the smoke cleared, he saw Teppei wearing his Level 3 Earth-Armor, struggling to stand.

Kouji rushed towards Teppei's side and helped him stand.

"What happened to you? Where are the others?" Kouji barraged him with questions.

"Slow down. Ugh, don't worry about the others, I'm sure they have made it through to the ship. We should be worrying about ourselves as I see you have yet to take care of Kouichi…" Teppei replied, then turned to face the forest as trees began to fall and a howl could be heard. As if to answer Kouji's unspoken question, Teppei continued, "That's another problem we have to face, Lord Kouji. Chiaki's brother, Terrou Minami. So I suggest we finish things here with Kouichi and go deal with the older Minami."

"I don't think we'll have to worry about Kouichi for a while." Kouji replied. "He's entered into a trance and he's become too distracted to even fight. And I see that even a Level 3 Armor is not enough of a defense against our incoming enemy."

"Are you sure about that?" Teppei asked as he stole a glance towards Kouichi who had knelt down holding his head as if trying to block something.

Kouji merely nodded. "I hope we can handle this Terrou-guy with just your Level 3 and my Level 2 powers. I am guessing he, like his sister, Kouichi and the Clone, have been enhanced as well."

"He's the Wood's chosen, so he certainly has his advantage over me. But Wood is an element associated with the Dark, so, you'll be able to deal much damage to him compared to me." Teppei stated. "But, with his own Level 4 Armor, it's quite hard to make a dent."

"Then we'll just have to find a way." Kouji said with conviction in his voice.

* * *

"W-where am I?" Kouichi said as he stood shaking, the headache he felt from the sound of the bell was dissipating.

Looking around he found nothing but darkness that made him question if this darkness was where he truly belong and if Kouji's words meant anything at all – if what they hold were nothing less than the truth.

Just when he thought the sound of the bell had gone, he once again heard it. This time louder than before, as if with every irresolution it grows all the more stronger. With every uncertainty that he was feeling, the sound grew ten times louder – almost deafening.

"Argh!"

Kouichi fell once again to his knees, both hands trying to shut the sound. His head pounded. Sweat began to appear in his brow as the pain in his head and even in his heart began to become unbearable. Soon he found himself gasping, wanting air but being unable to breathe.

"A-am I…d-dying?" He thought to himself as he forced himself to breathe. "T-that… can't be possible!"

Soon, his thoughts were drowned by the deafening sound. He was no longer kneeling, but rather, he lay collapsed on the cold ground of that dark place, a place that Kouichi had labeled as an abyss.

But just before he passed out, he heard something besides the sound of the raging bell.

He heard a voice.

_"Why do you grow uncertain?"_

* * *

"Argh!" came the shout of Teppei as he was once again thrown by the powerful force known as 'Terrou' and once again crash-landing on a nearby building that soon collapsed thanks to the impact and the destruction of its support beams.

"Teppei!" Shouted Kouichi as he looked to where his comrade had landed and at the failing building. But this proved to be a mistake for the moment he loosened his guard did Terrou attack him and sent him flying an equal distance to another building that also followed the fate of the first.

"Is… that… all…?" Came a growl from Terrou, a smirk was visible in his face which was covered with vine-like objects thanks to his armor. "How… pathetic!"

A powerful explosion sent the debris that had fallen on Teppei flying in all directions, hitting Terrou but only managing to scratch him just a little. The explosion revealed a very angry Chosen One of the Earth. On the other building, Kouji also emerged, bruised but not so much to make him unable to fight.

"Damn it!" Teppei said, blood trickling down his left arm which was badly wounded making him drop one of his axes. "This is getting us nowhere."

"I expected him to be strong, but he is monstrous." Kouji muttered to himself. "I know I've managed to wound him before, but… it would appear that his wounds vanish…"

"So… you pipsqueaks… want… more eh?" Bellowed Terrou. "Then… I shall… oblige."

And with that the one-sided battle resumed.

* * *

It seemed like forever. He wondered how long he had been knocked unconscious and he feared once again getting to his feet thinking that it would cause the bells to sound off once again. The thought that such little thing was enough to bring him down to his knees annoyed Kouichi very much, especially since he had believed himself to have grown stronger ever since he had began to work as one of the King's henchmen.

Suddenly, he heard someone speak. It was the same voice that he had heard earlier.

_"Are you trying to hide the fact that you have reawaken?"_

The sudden question and that had been asked and the fact that he was now hearing voices, surprised Kouichi enough to make him stand to his feet and try to draw his weapon, which he found that he was not carrying.

_"Silly human."_ Said the voice. _"Weapons have no place in a world where there is no physical form… or should I say, physical form is not of importance."_

"Who are you?" Demanded Kouichi. "Show yourself!"

_"Honestly, even if I wanted to, I would be unable to materialize in front of he who chooses to fear what he had been given."_ Came the reply. _"Why do you hesitate? Why do you run?"_

"What are you talking about?" Kouichi asked. "I do not run from anything. I have been branded by the King himself as his executioner – there is nothing that I fear, nothing that the Knight of Darkness fears!"

_"Is that the lie that you keep on telling yourself, human child?"_ retorted the voice that Kouichi could not find where it was coming from. _"A 'Knight of Darkness' you say? Hah! Foolish words when you do not even know much about your power – the power which you have branded as something evil without fully understanding it. And to believe in the King rather than yourself… I pity myself for having chosen you."_

"Chosen… me? What are you talking about? Who are you?!"

_"How you know not even my name. How do you expect to appreciate that which you have been given? Should Light need be near for you to hear my voice?"_

"This is crazy…" muttered Kouichi to himself.

_"Crazy, indeed."_ Said the voice. _"You block which you do not wish to hear and you rely on yourself and on the words of humans who easily bend when to know the truth you need only to listen to the voice of your heart. Did you not hear it, Kouichi? The sound? The cry of your heart seeking for you to notice it after being left in the pits of hatred and despair for far too long whilst believing in a lie?"_

"Are you something conjured by Kouji to make me believe in his words?" Kouichi asked. "If that is so, then this is nothing but an illusion set to catch me off guard."

_"This is no illusion boy, not even the Chosen One of Light can ask this of me." _ Replied the mysterious voice. _"The ray of light only creates a way for me to converse with you, nothing more, nothing less. To allow you to see the deepest recesses of your heart and let you hear the cries that it is making as you allow yourself to be used for the purpose that you were not destined for… that is why you have been brought here. Your pride hinders you in the outside world – in the physical world – to hear my voice clearly nor to hear your own heart beating, thus, you were sent here._"

Silence filled the air. Kouichi knew not what to say nor what to believe.

_"How many times have you turned away from our voice? Too many to count because of your pride. You do not wish to see that your choice was wrong. You do not wish to accept it, that is why you have been tainted by darkness."_

"Darkness… I've embraced it because that IS my power. I AM the Chosen One of Darkness." Kouichi said, his head bent low. "To call upon creatures of the abyss – that is my power. To hurt and to destroy, all that have been Chosen Ones of Darkness follow that path. What makes you believe that my path differs from my predecessors?"

_"You can summon vile creatures because you hate your power, because you detest it and because you have already been forged to believe that that is what you are only capable of doing. The King had made sure of that."_ Explained the voice. _"To hurt and to destroy, you chose that but that doesn't mean that that is all you are capable of doing. To say that darkness was borne to oppose light is not true. Darkness was born because of Light, with Light there is Darkness where Light symbolizes all that is good, Darkness too can symbolize that which is just. Not all who have travelled the path of a Chosen One of Darkness chose to use their power for evil just because they have associated darkness for all that evil in the world. When the Elemental Dragons descended upon the Heavens, they gave ten orbs of power to the founder of Frontiria, one for each element of the world, each symbolizing an element in human virtue. Fire was given as a symbol and reminder for Courage; Earth was given as a reminder for Knowledge; Water was given as a reminder for Life; Wind was given as a reminder for Hope; Wood was given as a reminder of Peace; Ice was given as a reminder for Resolution; Metal was given for Prosperity; Thunder was given as a symbol for Honor; Light was given as the symbol for Truth as Darkness was given for Justice."_

"H-how do you know all of this? Who are you?"

_"You of all people should know who I am, Kouichi."_ The Voice said, this time with gentleness and kindness in his voice. _"I have always been with you, in you, watching over you."_

Silence filled the air as realization dawned to Kouichi. A small smile crept on his face as he said, "I see… now I understand."

_"Unless you can accept who you are, my name will always elude you. But for now, listen to the cry of your heart, listen to the voice of truth… the voice of light."_

"Will I be able to meet with you someday?" Kouichi asked as everything began to fade away.

_"Maybe… that depends entirely on you. However, you must not force yourself to remember my name. That will come when it comes, and when it does then we will surely meet."_ The voice replied. _"But for now, there are people in need of your help. Arise, Kouichi – the Chosen One of Darkness. Run forth towards your true destiny."_

And with that the voice vanished, only to be replaced by a gentle sound that calmed Kouichi. From there he heard it – the sound of bells, but this time gently chimes and not thunderous. It made him feel safe, it made him feel that he belong. And that was when he truly understood, what he was doing all these time was not the path he was made to thread.

Everything became clear.

Everything became full of certainty.

And with that, Kouichi opened his eyes. Eyes that were no longer filled with hatred and confusion; with anger and fear; with resentment and regret; with sadness and betrayal… No, his eyes were now filled with a new found conviction, a new found purpose.

"I'm back…" He whispered.

* * *

What greeted Kouichi as he opened his eyes, renewed, was Teppei and Kouji struggling to get free from Terrou's vines which were choking them, holding them high above the ground. At once he knew that he had no time to think, he had to act.

Taking his weapon by the hand, he dashed forward with a speed that would rival that of Takuya when he went pass them to save Izumi from Chiaki's vicious grasp. Within seconds, Kouji and Teppei found themselves panting on the ground, trying to catch their lost breath. Both confused as to what had happened. When they saw who it was that stood between them and Terrou, they were even more baffled… but not as baffled as their enemy.

"What… do you think… you're doing?" Asked Terrou.

"I'm simply doing what I should have done quite a long while ago." Kouichi replied as he readied himself to battle. He was not just going to try and win against Terrou, he was going to win. That was how strong his convictions have become. "There is no way that I could allow my little brother to be killed just when we have been reunited. I've become a pawn to the King far too long, it's time to sever the bonds between Master and Servant."

The words that escaped Kouichi's mouth surprised his younger twin brother that all he could mutter was Kouichi's name.

"If that is what… you have… decided… then…you are…. Now branded as… a traitor to… the Kingdom of Frontiria… All traitors… must.. DIE!!"

"You can try, but I doubt you'll succeed." Retorted Kouichi.

"K-kouichi…" said Kouji as he wobbled while standing up. "I can't… allow you to take this battle on your own…"

"Kouji…?" Kouichi said as he glanced at his brother.

"I have to agree with the Vice-Commander here…" Teppei nodded as he too stood up yet again, ready for more. "I don't leave things unfinished. What I've started, I have to finish… and the same goes for this fight."

Kouichi smiled and nodded. "Very well. If that is your wish."

"Any heads up on this?" Teppei asked as the rain continued to wash on them carrying blood and sweat down to the ground. "No matter how many times we attack and wound him, he always regenerates."

"That's because of the rain. He and his sister work well together because the rain allows him to regenerate, much like how water helps a plant to survive." Kouichi explained. "To defeat him, we either have to stop the rain or bring him some place where water would not reach him. I suggest doing the latter for it is more possible."

"That explains it." Said Kouji. "But how do we do that? Surely he knows his own weakness."

"Leave that to me." Teppei said with a smirk on his face. "If we can't lure him from the rain then we'll just have to make the rain above him stop. Just be sure to be ready to make an explosive attack on him… I'm sure you can both manage that together."

And even before Kouji or Kouichi could ask him what he meant, the reckless Chosen One of Earth had already ran forward and made his move.

"Is he always like that?" Kouichi asked.

"Only when he's excited about something, or wants to show off." Replied the twin. "But I wonder what he has on his mind for this."

"We'll see that soon enough, for now, let us make an energy enough to finish this battle."

Kouji nodded, and together they both extended their arms, ready to conjure a combined energy attack.

* * *

"Everything's ready over on this side." Commander Orimoto said as he took his seat on the Leader's aircraft.

"Same goes over here, Commander." Tomoki said. "We're ready for take off."

"Good." The Leader said. "Then let her fly."

"Affirmative!" Tomoki and the Commander said in unison.

* * *

"Do it now!" Teppei shouted as he had finished creating a cocoon-like cage made of earth around Terrou.

Both Kouji and Kouichi nodded, and together they let go of the energy ball that was made of the powers of Light and Darkness.

The golden ball of energy traversed with such a speed like a homing missile towards it's target. With enough time to take cover, the trio were saved from the powerful impact of the attack with Terrou. The impact was enough to cut the earth open and was enough to leave no sign of the enemy behind.

When the smoke has cleared and the rubble from the explosion had stopped falling about, the trio emerged from their hiding place to find the destruction caused by the reckless plan that caused them to win the battle.

"Well, that's that." Teppei said with a grin.

"That was reckless." Kouji said.

"Are you kidding me, that attack was perfect." Teppei said not wanting to hear anything negative about his plan. "Especially that combined energy ball."

Kouichi turned around to face the direction where he knew the aircraft that they have used to get to Shore was waiting – where _she_ was waiting for her brother's return, a wait that Kouichi thought would be in vane.

"We better get out of here before Chiaki finds out." Kouichi said imagining the wrath that would befall anyone who was near Chiaki when the time comes that she would learn of her brother's defeat. "Make sure that neither Takuya nor Izumi is not anywhere near her."

"We don't have to worry about that." Kouji said. "They're probably a long ways from here. I'm glad to finally have you back, brother."

Kouichi nodded not bothering to say anything.

"You two need to explain this to us later. But right now, our ride has arrived." Teppei said as he caught sight of the Leader's aircraft beginning to descend, ready to pick them up.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Post Author's Notes:**

Whew, this is quite longer than the previous one, that I am sure of.

So… what do you guys think? Kouichi's back to the good guys and Terrou's defeated… now what woud become of his sister? What fight lies ahead? This chapter concludes the Shore Arc. Next up would be a chapter concerning Takuya and Izumi. What happened to those two? Where would they be heading? Has Izumi awakened from here deep slumber yet?

Well… we'll see. Lol

Should I finish the revisions for our thesis before Friday, then you guys can expect an update on or before Sunday, otherwise, the update would be sometime around Tuesday.

Anyways, that's about all the writing I'll be doing tonight. I'm going to draw Izumi now so, until next time… This is Sakura Martinez reminding everyone to review (go on, click the review button, onegai!) and saying "PEACE".

Take care, everyone!

Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**

* * *


	46. Surviving the Storm

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, so I am quite pissed right now. I didn't really plan to release this soon but since I got a little bit of break from studying for my final exams (which would last until Friday), I decided to upload this.

The reason why I am quite annoyed at the moment is someone seemed to have logged in using my account (however that person did that) and deleted one of my stories. I don't know who this person is but from the last review I got from that story, I could only speculate. Whoever that person is certainly has a lot of nerve to call my works 'trash'.

Anyways, before I actually blab on and on about it here, you guys just go on ahead and enjoy this chapter which serves as the closing chapter for the previous Arc and the opening chapter to another Arc (which I have yet to decide what to call it).

**End of Author's Notes.**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Surviving the Storm**

* * *

They were in trouble. There is no question about it. Who knew that choosing to escape under the cover of such a strong typhoon would prove more than they can handle, after all, the Leader had said that the Omni-Craft can handle such a force of nature even if they have decided to traverse in the open ocean.

How very wrong she was.

Right now, despite the technology and time that was given in maintaining the vehicle before their imminent departure, Takuya was facing the biggest problem in his life. Water was entering the hull of the Omni-Craft, which had been damaged thanks to the storm.

Of course, one who knows of the capabilities of the Omni-Craft would know that it is not a problem at all. Takuya had also thought of that. After all, he simply needs to push that small, red button and pull that lever to his right to make the Omni-Craft fly. The problem is, the Omni-Craft needs energy from its battery to function – something that, once again, thanks to the storm, had been rendered useless.

"Damn it!" Said Takuya as he pounded on the Omni-Craft's controls, which had stopped functioning. "This can't be happening!"

Sweat was trickling down Takuya Kanbara's forehead despite the cold weather the storm has brought. He had try doing several things to bring the battery back to life, but none worked. He had outdone himself in thinking of a way to fix the hull's damage, even using his power to fix it, but with the raging storm and the large waves crashing at them, he could not make it work either. This was not the start that he had been hoping for. What's more, looking at Izumi, who had still to reawaken, his worry even grew a thousand folds.

"Come on, Come on…" He chanted as he repeatedly tried to turn on the Omni-Craft, which only gave him small sputtering sounds. "Isn't there an emergency power in this thing?!"

If things were already worse, it only worsened as a large wave suddenly appeared. Takuya's eyes grew wide as he saw the danger that they were now in.

Slowly, but surely, the wave was coming after them and he knew that there was no time and no way that they can avoid it. With his mind only thinking about Izumi and her well-being, Takuya immediately rushed to her side and with all the power he could muster summoned a flame barrier that surrounded them inside a bubble. It was a last ditch effort that Takuya had placed his trust in…

* * *

"Can you at least tell me what's happening outside of this place?" Izumi asked as she finally got control of the managed to do what Haruko had asked of her – creating a compressed ball of wind in her hand.

Haruko smiled as she saw how well her apprentice have done, and in such a short while as well. To have conjured that ball of wind could only mean one thing – that she, Izumi, had fully mastered the art of controlling the natural, physical, and spiritual energies both within her and around her. She of course, stated this to Izumi after answering her query with 'I cannot say for there is something blocking my senses in the outside world.'

Although Izumi was happy to hear praises from her predecessor, what Haruko said worried her.

"What do you mean by that, Haruko?" She asked.

Haruko thought for a while. After which, she merely shook her head and said, "Don't worry about it, I suppose it is nothing. Perhaps your friends are merely training. Anyway, we are almost done with your training here as well so let it be for a while longer."

Izumi looked at the horizon, her thoughts were distant as she wondered what everyone was up to as she continued with her training with the ball of wind. She wondered if everyone was alright though she could imagine the worry her father and Takuya must be going through with each passing moment that she lay asleep in the 'physical world', as Haruko put it.

As the power she was putting on the ball of wind grew, she could only send a whispered thought to Takuya and her father.

"It won't be long now, Takuya, Father." She thought as she focused more on the task at hand, hoping that her training would be completed soon.

* * *

Waves crashed on the grainy sand creating foams before being drawn back to the ocean from whence it came. The sun, after a long time in the darkness of the storm, had finally rose up gloriously in dawn of a new day. Birds who had hid themselves during the storm had finally came out to great the new day, chirping as they perched themselves on the trees – whether rooted out of the ground or still standing, as if humming a tune to celebrate the end of such a storm – a storm that would be recorded as the strongest one to have hit that side of the world.

But there was more to this island than that, for two figures lay on the beach – one atop the other in a protective manner. Their clothes were tattered as if they have fought with the waves, which they did. Not too far from where they lay was the wreckage that was their ship. Neither of them, however, was moving.

It was in this manner that they were both found by someone who had just happened to pass by on his daily route. That someone was an old man, a denizen of the island. Knowing the dangers in stored should he turn a blind eye to those two who obviously need help, the old man took it upon himself to take care of them.

How the old man managed to take these two to his humble abode, no one could tell. But whatever method he used, he managed to do just that and allow Takuya and Izumi to recuperate.

* * *

In the comfort of their base in the Commercial City of Alkaid, the Organization, or at least what was left of it including the Leader, the Commander, the General, Kouichi, Teppei, Junpei, and Tomoki, were all awaiting Kouji's return.

"We are lucky, Leader," Teppei said at one point whilst they were waiting, "who would have thought that the Alkaid Base was still operational."

"Yes, the gods seem to have favored us this time around." The Leader spoke in her usual calm way. "However, we should not stick here for long. Should the King and General Kanbara figure out where we are, we will, without a doubt, put the lives of these people in danger… just like what happened in Shore."

"I apologize for that." Kouichi said as he bowed his head. Even after being accepted back by his friends and those whom he had betrayed, Kouichi still felt guilty. "I did not intend for the people of Shore to get involved. If only I could have controlled Chiaki and her brother…"

"What's done is done." The General said, which made everyone turn to his direction. "We could only be thankful that every civilian from Shore survived, although some of them were injured when they got caught into the battle."

Kouichi could not help but smile as he saw everyone in that room nod in agreement to what his grandfather had said. They have been all too welcoming of him, despite what he had made them go through. It was because of this that Kouichi reawakened the conviction of doing everything he can for these people – to pay them back. It was a solemn promise, one he had secretly made to himself.

"So, what is our next course of action, Leader?" Junpei asked, he had been getting restless for the past hour and a half that they were talking in that room.

The Leader turned around, her back facing the others as she took a look through the window where she could see the southern end of the peaceful city of Alkaid. People were bustling about, which was quite normal for such a commercial city as this and the Leader knew that what had to be done.

"Like I have said, we can't stay here for long. Our first priority would be to ensure we have ample supplies before sundown." She stated. "After that, we will abandon this base completely. Take every equipment that still holds value and is still usable. Then, we head for the one place the King and his minions would not dare to look."

"Where is that?" Tomoki asked but General Kimura and Commander Orimoto's eyes widened, as if they understood what the Leader was about to say.

"Wait, you don't mean…" Commander Orimoto was about to say, but the Leader cut him off.

"Yes. We'll head for Fort Gulgora."

* * *

The Old Man had been working full time on ensuring that both of his 'patients' were well off while they recuperate. It had already been five days since he found them washed ashore, their ship quite destroyed. At first, he feared that they might already be dead but upon closer inspection, he was able to breathe a sigh of relief after checking their vital signs.

If this old man was tired from taking care of them, he did not show it – not in his gestures nor in his eyes as he continued to work with his herbs, cutting them and grinding them, preparing said herbs as mixtures to whatever concoction he has planned.

He, however, abruptly stopped working when he heard someone stir in their bed. Quickly, with speed that you would not believe an old man could possess, he went to check up on both Takuya and Izumi.

"Ugh…" groaned Izumi as she struggled to sit up, her right hand supporting her head while her left was used to push herself up in a sitting position.

The Old Man smiled, glad that one of them was already awake.

It would appear, however, that Izumi did not notice that the Old Man was there nor that she was no longer in Shore or anywhere she could possibly know as she continued to hold her head in her hand with her eyes closed.

"It seems that you have finally awakened, my dear." The Old Man spoke, knowing that introductions are better over and done with rather than dragged on for much later.

The voice of the Old Man, which she had never heard before, surprised Izumi enough that, despite the headache she has, she quickly looked over at the direction of where the voice came from and saw the Old Man just as she was about to conjure up an attack for self-defense.

"Who are you?" She asked, not knowing what to think. Of course, the moment that she saw the old man and asked her question, she also realized that she was no longer in the Organization's Mansion. This, of course, made her panic, though not so much as to actually let anyone notice. "…And where am I?"

"Now, now…" the Old Man said, keeping his distance. "There is no need to fret. I am just a humble hermit who happened to pass by just when you and the boy were in need of help. My name is Daichi, and you my dear are in my humble abode."

"What are you talking about?" Izumi asked, not letting her guard down yet. But her head really was throbbing now. "Where exactly are we?"

"I could only suspect that you and your friend over there tried to brave that dangerous storm for who knows why. " The old man, Daichi, replied as he pointed a finger towards another bed where Takuya lay unconscious. "As for your other question…"

The moment Izumi followed where Daichi was pointing at, and the moment she saw Takuya, bruised and unconscious, she did not get to hear the answer to her second question as she, despite her throbbing head, ran towards Takuya. A worried look was plastered on her face.

"Takuya!" she gasped as she saw him.

At that moment, questions started popping in her head. What had happened? How long was she asleep? What were they doing traveling, as the old man had said, on such a dangerous weather? Where were the others? How long has she been out cold? Questions such as these formulated on her mind as she sat on Takuya's bed and pushed away the strands of hair that had found its way into his face wanting to get a better view of him.

"Don't worry, my dear." Daichi said. "He'll be fine. Just a bit more rest and I'm sure he will be up and about as you are. Though I have to suggest that you take it easy as well. You are far from recovered."

"Who are you really?" Izumi asked though not taking her eyes on Takuya's sleeping face. "Are you part of the Kingdom of Frontiria?"

The old man moved slowly beside her and answered, "Do not worry. In this land there is no Kingdom or any kind of faction. But to answer your question, as I can deduce that you and this boy are running from the Kingdom, I can tell you that I am very much the same as you and that the Kingdom of Frontiria no longer exists."

At what the old man said, Izumi turned around to meet his gaze. "What do you mean it no longer exists?"

"Just that." Daichi replied. "The Kingdom of Frontiria is no more. In its place, however, is the Empire of Frontiria."

"Empire?" Exclaimed Izumi. "How did that happen? And at such a fast transition as well."

"The King, or should I say the Emperor, seemed to have gotten hold of some strong warriors which he used to make the countries and smaller kingdoms succumbed to his power. While you were sleeping, half of the world had been taken by the Empire under their grip." Diachi answered as he took a glass of water from a nearby desk and gave it to Izumi to drink. "Rebels against the Empire had been trying to fight against the Emperor and his men, however, this new army seems too much stronger than they can handle. Rumor has it that they, the army, is made up of people that the Legends speak of… however, that, is something that I do not believe."

As Daichi stated that last line, Izumi could have sworn to see a glint of amusement in his eyes. Though when she looked again it was no longer there.

"These Rebels, do you know who they are?" She asked, wondering if said rebels were the Organization, and if so, why were they not with them?

"Unfortunately, news of the rebels are scarce here in this small island." The old man said. "I only know about news that I hear from my friends who have traveled the world."

Silence filled the room. There was so much more that she wanted to ask the old man, but the throbbing of her head was now growing in intensity and she could no longer think straight. The old man, Daichi, was right. She still needs a lot of rest.

"What's more," she thought as she was helped back to her bed by the old man, "I have to ask Takuya some things before I open up to this mysterious stranger."

* * *

She cursed and cursed and cursed under her breath and out loud as she looked at her self in the mirror. Stitches were visible from her forehead down to her left cheek and the view she got from the mirror made her angry enough to break it.

Chiaki Minami was angry. Very, very angry.

"How dare Kouichi Kimura do this to me!" She shouted… shrieked rather. "How dare he humiliate me! How dare he turn my face into something like this… something that Lord Takuya does not find attractive any more!"

Yes, Chiaki had faced the clone upon her return. He had asked her what happened and where Izumi was, but when all she could do was stutter, the clone found great distaste for her. Not only had she failed in her mission, she had also lost a valuable ally in the form of Kouichi Kimura, the Chosen One of Darkness.

Anger was all that filled Chiaki's eyes. Yes, she was going to have her revenge no matter what. She would kill them all, and she would ensure that not only Izumi get the full taste of her wrath but also Kouichi, Kouji and Teppei who had tried to destroy her brother.

That was what was in her mind as she walked towards the Laboratory. Once inside, she made her way in front of a large cylinder filled with a watery substance and a wounded body floating inside it. Facing it, she spoke:

"Do not worry, brother. We will have our revenge against them. I swear it. We will destroy them for what they did to the both of us…"

* * *

A calm wind blew and ruffled the hair of the old man, who stopped applying a salve on Takuya's wounds. He looked over at the sleeping figure of the young lady with whom he had spoken with earlier, then back at the young man whom he was still treating.

An inaudible whisper could be heard in the room. The old man, however, seem to understand what the whisperer was saying. Closing his eyes, he contemplated for a second or two before he opened them again.

"And the hands of fate begins to turn once again," he muttered under his breath. "but I wonder, how will this one end?"

* * *

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**Post Author's Notes:**

* * *

Well, this chapter is a lot shorter than I would have liked as I am working on this with my head fuming in anger. Whoever deleted my story and sent me that anonymous review really struck a nerve on me. I rarely 'bite back' on reviews, but that particular review really got me angry.

I appreciate constructive criticisms and criticisms that have a basis to help me better myself in writing, and I am sure most, if not all, writers feel the same way. However, if you only plan to say that a writer is not good without stating the reason why, then please don't bother to review, you are not helping anyone. Besides which, never tell someone that what they've done and worked hard to finish is 'trash'. Whoever that reviewer was, really is full of himself to call my work that (or anyone else's work that for that matter). Some people just don't know how to respect other people's work.

Anyways, I am sorry for that. I just wanted to get that off my chest.

On the lighter side of things, production for the game is going to start on Saturday. I have decided to release the game by Arcs, so the first one that would be release would be Arcs 1 and 2 of this fanfic. I am also going to set up a development site for it so that anyone who's interested would be able to see what's going on with the project. Of course, slots are still available for seiyuus, spriters, mappers, scripters and the likes (Beta Testers would have to wait until we actually have something to ask you to test, lol). Those who are interested to be a part of the team, just drop me a line and I'll be happy to add you.

With that said, and with three more examinations to go. This is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and pointing at the review button. Don't forget to review, okay? And see you guys next time! Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**

* * *


	47. And So the Wheel Begins to Turn

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez  


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**

**Author's Notes:**

Well, it has been a while since I last updated this fanfic, hasn't it? I'm on my semestral break right now, but even so, I have some more things that needed to first be accomplished before I could write this chapter. If you guys have been checking out my deviant account, then you would have noticed several RotM artworks including screenshots of the cutscene from the game. I have so far made 2 screenshots from the Prologue chapter entitled 'The Promise'.

Anyhow, thanks for all who reviewed and continued to support this fanfic.

Hope you guys enjoy this update!

**End of Author's Notes  


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**

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**And So the Wheel Begins to Turn  


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**

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Old man Daichi asked perhaps for the thousandth time as he escorted Izumi to the mountain path.

"Yes." Izumi replied with a smile. "I am quite capable of defending myself should any wild beast attack, sir. Besides, I have nothing to do. This is the least I can do to repay you for the kindness you have shown Takuya and myself."

"Very well then, be careful." He said and Izumi nodded before making her way to gather herbs atop the mountain – an errand that she insisted on doing.

Daichi watched her for a while as she walked away. As soon as he could no longer see her, he went back inside his wooden house.

It had been almost a week now since the two travelers had, thanks to the storm, found their way into his island. One has recovered fully while the other still lay unconscious. Daichi walked towards Takuya's sleeping figure and sat on the chair near his bedside where Izumi usually sat to look after him. The old man could not help but chuckle at the memory of Izumi forcing herself to stay awake but failing miserably.

His laughter soon died down though as he closed his eyes and the graveness of the matter sunk into him once more.

He had already promised himself to tell them once he regains consciousness. Yes, time was already running out. If there is to be any hope, Takuya would have to awaken now….  


* * *

He could feel it. After a long time of waiting it had finally been done.

The Clone smiled. They may have lost the chance to recapture Izumi and utterly destroy the Organization which had been the forefront of the rebellion but with his newfound power, it would only be a matter of time before their enemies all fade away from existence.

Yes, he is going to prove to Takuya that he is no match for him.

"And once Takuya's dead, I'll take over his life and Izumi will be mine." He thought.

His thoughts were answered with a low growl, and as if to answer the guttural sound that seem to have emanated from somewhere, the clone replied, "I do not care if it was the Emperor's orders to dispose of all the Chosen Ones once we have the essence of their power. I am not going to kill Izumi."

"Well, that certainly makes things clear for me." Katsuharu said as he descended the stairs wearing his princely garment. "Going against father's orders are you."

If the clone was surprised at Katsuharu's sudden entrance, he did not show it. Instead, he turned around to face him and smirked, "Well, that's a first, _your majesty_. I never thought I'd see the day when I hear you call the King… or should I say the Emperor, 'father'… nor did I imagine the day would come when you would be forced to wear that."

"You're in the same boat as me when it comes to choices." Katsuharu replied as he crossed his arms and leaned on the wall near the staircase from where he descended. "However, just so you know – though, of course I can guess that you already do, one person will stand in your way of keeping her alive."

"If you mean that woman, Chiaki then I would not worry about her." The clone replied nonchalantly, "She would be no match against Takuya and Izumi, I will make sure of that. If there is anyone who would be able to defeat him… that would be me."

"My, my, I hope you're not planning on doing something that's reckless. I can only cover for you so much." The Prince said.

The clone smirked once more. "Surely you can do anything especially since we have already made a deal. Just keep your end of the bargain and I will keep mine. Certainly that's the real intention of why you came down here."

"Perhaps. But our plans must not be known by anyone, do you understand?"

"Of course." He replied. "I know the consequences, Katsuharu. This already is far too much of a gamble."

"It's good to know that you understand that very well."  


* * *

"Kaizen, do you know where we are exactly?" Izumi asked her Spirit Guardian as she continued to pick herbs.

Materializing herself, Kaizen replied, "It's hard to tell. If we were to trust the voices of the wind and what they're telling us, then, as they say we're in the middle of the Kraat Ocean."

"And that's impossible because there are no islands in Kraat which is as small as this one." Izumi finished what Kaizen was about to say, at which Kaizen nodded.

"It could be that someone is stopping us from looking pass this illusion – should this island be an illusion." The Spirit Guardian of the Wind said. "But, the illusionist would have to be a very powerful mage of sorts to be able to pull something like this off."

"Is there any other possibilities?"

"Well, the other possibility is that this is no illusion for us. Meaning, this island does exist and we're really on it but it doesn't exist to those who have not stepped into it. Sort of like an island hidden from the world." Kaizen stated. "But if that is so, then this would still require someone who can utilize such an amazing energy to envelop the whole island and make it invisible to the world. I don't think such a human being could possibly exist. What's more, don't you find that Daichi-character a bit strange, Izumi?"

"I can't say I don't. There's something about him though that makes me trust him and be wary of him at the same time." Izumi replied. "Do you think he's the one who's doing this?"

Kaizen kept quiet for a moment, thinking. "I don't know…."  


* * *

His watched from inside the large cylinder tube as he was being regenerated with the help of his powers as a Chosen One. Memories of the battle that he had previously fought were still fresh in his mind, as fresh as the memory of the face of the two people who dare hindered him from accomplishing his mission.

Terou Minami knew he had got to get even with those two other Chosen Ones. Just as his sister hungered for revenge, so did he.

"Is that really what you desire?" Came a voice that was very audible despite the liquid in the tank, and the question seemed to be directed at him. What's more there was no one in the room. "Have you really been fully transformed into a monster?"

A growl was all that came out from Terou's mouth. His ability to speak seemingly lost from everything that he had undergone. But it seemed that the owner of the voice knew exactly what he was saying.

"I pity you, child." Said the mysterious voice, "Where is your humanity…? Has it really been lost? Am I really to late to right what was done wrong?"  


* * *

"We cannot keep doing this, Yuriko!" Ishige Orimoto said as he pounded on the oaken table that separates the Leader of the Organization and the Commander. "Our forces are too small, too weak to go up against their army!"

"And what other options do we have?" the leader retorted albeit in a calm manner. "We have to keep them from going all out in their search for both Takuya and Izumi."

"Our men are dying, Yuriko…" Ishige said, "Young men, men who barely touched their 20s. I cannot go on every battle and watch them die like that. We're sacrificing too much that we may be doing the exact same mistake that Hiroaki made…"

"It's too late to turn back now, we're in too deep." She replied, sadness in her voice. "What Hiroaki had done must be undone."

"The end does not justify the means." Said Ishige as he knew that there really was no other option.

"I know and I understand how you feel, Ishige. But I feel responsible for all of this – for how it all started, for everything."

"It was his decision, Yuriko. Hiroaki was the one who chose, it was not you." Kouta Kimura said all too suddenly that surprised his two friends. "There is no need to go that far to blame yourself for everything that's been happening in this Kingdom, and to the children as well."

"Lord Kouta…" Yuriko was about to begin but Ishige cut her off.

"We have been friends for far too long, and we know the truth to this whole story. It is not your fault, Yuriko. You can rest your conscience on that." Ishige said. "I apologize for questioning your tactics, especially when amongst us, you have always been the better tactician."

Silence filled the air, and in her mind Yuriko cannot help but question if the lives of the many that were placed in jeopardy was really necessary.  


* * *

Takuya slowly opened his eyes. At first, all he could see were blurred shapes but soon his eyesight began to focus and he was able to see things more clearly. And it was then that he realized he was not at a place that he could recognize.

"W-where… am I?" He asked as he sat up touching his head as he did as he still felt lightheaded.

"I see that you've finally regained consciousness… certainly took you a long time, boy." Daichi said as he handed him a glass of water.

Takuya looked at him quizzically, but thanked him for the water nonetheless. Soon after drinking the glass empty, he asked, "Who are you? And where am I?"

"You can call me Daichi, and you are in my small abode in the island where people who runs away from the Empire of Frontiria currently resides… of course, by people I mean you, me, and young Lady Izumi."

"Izumi! Where is she? Is she safe? Is she alright?" Takuya fired his question one after another. "And what do you mean Empire?"

"Hold your horses, that's too many questions to answer in such a hurried manner for an old man like me." Daichi said with a light chuckle. "But yes, she is fine. She's currently running an errand for me up in the mountains. As for your question regarding the Empire, the Kingdom of Frontiria no longer exists. The King hailed himself as the Emperor of all the lands he had conquered which now belongs to Frontiria, thus, the birth of the Empire of Frontiria."

"Are you serious about that?!" Exclaimed Takuya that caused his head to hurt. "What about the Organization? Are they still fighting?"

"You asked the same question as Izumi did. Unfortunately I know next to nothing about this Organization that you speak of, although I know there is a group of rebels fighting against the super-charged army of the Emperor."

Takuya could not help but clench his fist in anger. "We should not be here hiding. We should be out there fighting along side our friends. Darn it!"

"And what can you possibly do to help them in the condition you are in?" the old man asked. "Have you perhaps thought that this is a war that you and the young lady are not supposed to be a part of?"

"I'm sorry, sir. But it's more complicated than just that. I know for a fact that where we're supposed to be is by our friends' side fighting along side them. That's where our destiny lies." Takuya replied.

"Let me tell you a bit of an advice regarding destinies, Takuya." Daichi said. "You have more than one… everyone has more than one destiny."

This confused Takuya, but before he could clarify Daichi's words with him, he heard Izumi's voice and next thing he knew he was lying on his bed with Izumi's arms wrapped around his neck and her on top of him hugging him tightly.

"I-Izumi!"

"Takuya! I'm so glad you're finally awake! You had me so worried… I thought… I thought…" she sniffed.

"I'm fine, Izumi. I was more worried about you. You have been unconscious far longer than I have been." Takuya said with his usual grin plastered on his face as he wiped Izumi's tears away.

"Well, this certainly looks like one happy reunion." Daichi smiled at them.

Izumi nodded and thanked the old man yet again for watching over Takuya.

Daichi, however, knew that there were far more pressing matters to discuss. And what his eyes saw on Takuya's marking on his back only proved that his fears are coming to a realization. The wheel has indeed turned yet again.

The question now was, how was he going to tell them about it? Certainly they would be wary of him should he mention anything regarding Chosen Ones. They would probably question who he is and how he knows of such things which would only complicate things.

Once again the wind blew and the inaudible whisper found its way into Daichi's ear that made him lose fear of what could happen on the upcoming conversation.

"I am sorry that I have to cut your happy reunion short, my young friends but we do not have much time left." Daichi spoke. "There is something that both of you need to know."

"Is this something concerning the Empire?" Izumi was the one who asked.

"Yes, and no." Came the reply. "Come with me and listen to what I have to say as we go." And he walked out of the house.

Takuya looked at Izumi who returned his gaze with one that was also filled with confusion. They did not, however, dilly dallied for by the look on Daichi's face, it was something serious and important. And with that, Izumi helped Takuya up and guided him as he walked.

Daichi led them through a narrow pathway in the forest and up granite steps into what seemed to be a remains of a building of old – a ruin.

"Where are we? What is this place?" Takuya asked.

"This is all that remains of the Temple of the Dragon Gods." Daichi answered. "This used to be a holy land, you see. This temple was built to honor the Dragon Gods who helped shape the future of Frontiria. King Felius, the first King of Frontiria was granted a power by the Dragon Gods so that he could rule justly and with make a prosperous kingdom for the people."

"I've read about him while I was studying," Izumi said. "He was a great king who managed to expand the territory of the Kingdom and at the same time keep the people happy."

"Yes, Felius was a great King, the greatest of all the Kings of Old and not because he founded the Kingdom but because of how he ruled. He was greatly loved by the people." Daichi went on. "But then, the future that the Dragon Gods have planned for Frontiria changed drastically as successor after successor to the King became more and more power hungry, forgetting the oath that they have made to the Dragon Gods and to their people. Wishing for nothing more but power and the riches of the world."

Takuya and Izumi kept quiet as they wondered where this was all going.

"When the Dragon Gods saw what the Kings have become, they became enraged and with their rage they destroyed the orbs that they gave to Felius and his bloodline, cursing them that forever they will be unable to wield this power. Felius, of course, have long been dead at that time and the ruling King, Luca swore revenge on the Dragon Gods for taking his power away from him. This of course caused the Dragon Gods to get infuriated even more that they sealed Luca's soul into oblivion when he died."

"But isn't King Luca only found in legends? He did not really exist, did he?" Takuya asked. "All this things are but stuff of legends."

"Legends have truth in them, my boy. And this is by far something that truly happened in the Age of Old." Daichi replied. "What's more, when the orbs were broken and destroyed, the essence of the Dragons which was locked in them as the source of their power was set free. This troubled the Dragon Gods for they knew what kind of power would mean to those with evil intent and to humans who could not control their earthly desire for power."

"So what happened then?" They had once again began to walk, this time entering the ruins and into a dark corridor.

"The Dragon Gods decided to make a counter measure. They created an ancient relic with such immense power and inoperable by human hands." Daichi replied as they went down a staircase then down another one and another. As they did, both Izumi and Takuya feared that the establishment would collapse any minute now. "They needed a way to ensure that not just anyone would be capable of obtaining the power of the essence. In their quest in search for a counter measure, they came across humans who they found hope on, and thus they built the relic known to my kin and myself as the Gates of Gaia."

"Gates of Gaia? I've never heard of it? Have you, Izumi?" Takuya asked.

"No, I haven't nor have I read anything about it." She replied.

"Of course you would not have known of it. No human was to know, at least, no human alive should know about it." Daichi said. "However, someone corrupted one of the Dragon Gods causing him to leave a trace of the Gates of Gaia behind. That someone was Luca."

"But you said that the Dragon Gods sealed him in oblivion, how can King Luca be the one responsible for the treachery of one of the Dragon Gods?" Izumi asked.

"The Dark Dragon was the only one amongst the Dragon kin who turned evil and sided with Luca. Luca, as it seems, gained tremendous amounts of power while he was still alive. Enough to allow evil energy to build up and release him from the confinements of oblivion." Daichi explained. "Of course, when the other Dragon Gods learned of it, it was far too late. But the Gates of Gaia had been finished by then, and they set their plan into action. They chose humans that are related by blood to those that they had met who holds the light of hope in them and ever so often, one from their bloodline would be born with the power to control a Dragon's Essence. This is where the Chosen Ones were born."

The revelation came as a surprise to both Takuya and Izumi.

"Are you saying that the Chosen Ones of old are like ancestors then to the chosen ones of every generation?" Takuya asked not hiding his surprise.

"Related by blood, yes. You can call it a special ability that is imbued on their bloodline." Daichi replied. "And another thing, there is no need to hide your identities. The mark of a Chosen One is on your body, you cannot hide the fact that you both are chosen ones to me."

This surprised Takuya and Izumi even more. Now they realize why Daichi was telling them all this.

"Who are you really, old man?" Takuya asked, ready to attack should the old man prove to be an enemy rather than an ally.

They have stopped walking by then, and faced a large circular object floating in midair. This object was made entirely of concrete.

"I am known by many names. One of which is Daichi, Keeper of Knowledge. But my kinsmen know me by another name: Valthoria, Lord of the Dragon Gods and this is the Dragon Island, home of the Dragon Gods."

"You've got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Takuya. "You can't be a Dragon God, you look just like a normal human being!"

"Have you never heard of metamorphosis?" Daichi asked. "We Dragons were blessed with such ability. You can even ask Kaizen about it, Izumi."

"H-how did you know about Kaizen?" Izumi asked, surprise that he even knew the name of her Spirit Guardian.

"I know everything about them, I am not called the Keeper of Knowledge if I didn't." He replied. "And in front of us is the Gates of Gaia, the last resort that we Dragon Gods used. A tactic we believed was fool proof, only to have that belief crash down on us."

"This is a bit too much. All these stuff about legends being true, and about Dragon Gods and this gate. What does all of this have to do with us apart from us being Chosen Ones, then?"

"It has a lot to do with you, because you are connected to what happened 17 years ago." Daichi replied. "Both of you are connected to all of this just as Hiroaki Kanbara and Ishige Orimoto are."

"Father?!" both exclaimed in unison.

"There is a lot that I need to tell you before my time runs out and I have to return to Avalon." Daichi said. "Things about your fathers, about the Emperor of Frontiria, about Flayhme your Spirit Guardian and about your brother, Takuya."

"M-my… brother…?" Takuya's eyes widened and he clenched his fist as he remembered how his father had came to tell him that his older brother, Shinya, had died on an expedition. "Are you going to tell me how he died then?"

Daichi closed his eyes. "No, I will however tell you that he is still alive… very much alive."  


* * *

**To be continued…  


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**

**Post Author's Notes:**

And before anyone says that Shinya is Takuya's younger brother, hold your horses because I know that and I chose not to follow that in this fanfic (this fanfic being AU and all). Anyways, this is the start of the second to the final arc of the story.

As you have read, revelations are being made one after another just as a new set of questions are resurfacing.

What are Katsuharu and the clone plotting?

What does the Organization really stand for and why were they created in the first place?

How deep has King Luca of Frontiria had plotted against the Dragon Gods and how far has that plot been put into action?  
What will Valthoria/Daichi tell our heroes?  
And what of Shinya and Flayhme?

All of these questions will be answered in the succeeding chapters, plus a lot more surprises in too.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Keep a look out on updates on the fanfic and on my deviant account as well. Also, I have now begun making the website for the game so keep your eyes and ears peeled for news on that matter.

Well, that's all for now.  
Don't forget to review, okay?

This is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out!

Until next time everybody, take care!

**End of Post Author's Notes:  


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	48. The Ruins and the Curse

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez  


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**

**Author's Notes:**

Well, here we are once again for another Rabbit on the Moon update. I seem to be forgetting my Chronicles of Time: Cyber World fanfic so I may be updating that after this (a day or so later) since I owe that much to my friends, the readers of that fanfic, who are waiting for a new chapter for it. Sorry about that.

Anyways, I have a week left before my final term before my graduation comes so I decided to enjoy it. Don't really know what I would do within that week, but… well, that'll eventually come when it does. But I do hope that it won't be too late (meaning that I still have a couple of days of vacation left).

Anyhow, enough about that. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter because you're in for one heck of a ride in this one.

**End of Author's Notes  


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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Ruins and the Curse  


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**

"Must you really go so early? Can you not at least wait for your brother to wake up?" An auburn haired woman in her late 30s asked.

"Mother, if I do that then I would surely be unable to make it in time." A young man answered.

It was almost four in the morning and the sun had yet to rise covering the room in a light-grayish color. The voices of the two people in that room were the only thing that could be heard amidst the silence and the constant barking and howling of the dogs. Their silhouette were the only things that could be seen for neither wished to open any of the lights in their house in fear of waking anyone else up – something that the young man obviously did not want.

"You do realize that when he wakes up he would really be angry at you for breaking your promise." The mother said, evidently not wanting her son to go at all.

"That may be the case, mother but still…" the young man trailed off. "I'm sure he'll understand this one day and if not, I'll be sure to explain it to him once I return."

Silence filled the room with uneasiness. Neither was good at saying goodbyes.

"This is such a dangerous mission." The mother finally spoke after a short while. "I have asked Hiroaki to reconsider sending you but he insists that there is no finer man for the job than you. And even though I hate to admit it, your father is right, Shinya."

"Mother, it will be alright. I promise to return home safely along with father." Shinya reassured his mother. "Father's right, if none of us were to go on this mission, he might suspect something of our family and it could put Takuya's life, as well as your life, in jeopardy. I can't risk that, and neither can father."

"I know. Just… be sure to be careful." The female Kanbara replied. "We don't know anything about that newly discovered island. Who knows what lies in wait for you there."

The young man, Shinya, could not help but to let out a chuckle as he said, "You worry to much mother." Then, when his laughter subsided added, "Well, I better go. Father may end up being furious with me again should I be late."

With one final hug, and with one final whisper of "Be careful" to her eldest son, she let go of Shinya. She knew that this was meant to happen as he was a proud knight bearing the name of Kanbara and the weight of that name along with it. She cannot, however, dismiss the strange feeling that something was wrong. She doesn't know what it was yet, and that troubling feeling would not go no matter how many times she tried.

The moment that the oaken doors closed and her son was no longer in view, she decided to check up on the youngest of her sons. Climbing up the wooden steps and turning a right at the corner, she opened a door leading to young Takuya's room, there she found him peacefully sleeping. The sight of her youngest son made her feel content and made her smile, driving her worries away momentarily. Deciding that she would sleep better with company, she went to her son's bedside and lay down beside him, wrapping Takuya in a motherly hug with Takuya snuggling back for warmth and comfort.  


* * *

"You're late, Shinya." A man in his 30s wearing a silver armor with a red cape that holds the emblem of Frontiria said as he welcomed the young man.

"Sorry about that, Father… I-I mean, Captain." Shinya replied as he saluted his superior and joined the ranks of his fellow knights. "Mother held me back for a while asking me to wait until Takuya wakes up."

"I figured just as much." Hiroaki Kanbara said crossing his arms as he did. "You do realize that Takuya will probably be angry with you for ditching him."

"That's precisely what mother said." Shinya sighed. "I'm sure that Takuya will understand. But that's beside the point, Captain. Any news of what we'll be dealing with in that island?"

"Drop the formalities, Shinya. Everyone here in this platoon knows that you're my son." Hiroaki scolded his eldest before answering his query. "No word of it yet except that we're supposed to be investigating the ruins in that island. The King believes that it has something to do with you-know-what."

"Isn't it a bit dangerous for me to go along with this mission? I might blow our cover." Shinya said in a hushed and worried tone.

"That's why you have to be extra careful. Any sudden tingling feeling that you have, report it to me immediately."

Shinya nodded. "Understood, father."

"Well, it seems like you two are ready for this." Said a blond haired young man who was as old as Hiroaki Kanbara, and also wearing the same outfit signifying that he too was a Captain of a platoon.

"I could say the same for you, Ishige… and may I add that you seem to be excited about it as well." Hiroaki said with a grin.

"Of course, you know that explorations excite me. What's more, I hear that it's an ancient ruin of some sort." Ishige Orimoto said returning the grin. "I bet we could find loads concerning that which has been troubling both our families for a while now."

"I heard the same thing, I was just telling Shinya to be careful while we're out there, and I could say the same to you if you were ten years younger." Hiroaki said, making fun of his friend.

"And I could return the same advise to you." Ishige answered back, leading the two to laugh out loud and to Shinya to think how childish his father and his friend were being.

_"Are you sure that you're not just jealous at how easy-going they are being about this mission?"_ Said a voice in his head, a voice that Shinya had grown accustomed to. It was the voice of his Spirit Guardian, Flayhm.

_"What are you talking about this time, Flayhm?"_ asked Shinya telepathically acting like he did not know what his Spirit Guardian meant.

_"You know you can't hide anything from a Guardian Spirit. You're jealous that they get to act like normal people despite having the same powers that you have when they were younger."_ Flayhm stated a matter-of-factly.

Silence was all Shinya could answer to his Spirit Guardian which told Flayhm that he had hit right on the mark of what Shinya was thinking. Despite saying that he knows everything there is to know about the young man, having only awakened a week before meant that it was just a bluff… sort of. He, Flayhm the Fire Guardian, would have to bond with his master more to be able to reach that level of mutual understanding. Of course, he wasn't about to say that out loud and let his secret be known.

_"It's just… can't you at least explain why Father and Lord Ishige no longer have their so-called ability?"_ Shinya finally spoke after a while as Ishige Orimoto and Hiroaki Kanbara began assembling their men to board the ship that would take them to the newly discovered and yet to be named island for their mission. _"You're supposed to be some kind of ancient guardian spirit or something, right? You should know these things and be knowledgeable about them since they are 'ancient'."_

_"Just because I introduced myself to you as the reincarnation of the Ancient Spirit of the Flames does not mean that I am ancient."_ Flayhm retorted. _"It's just a title that we have to bear. Anyways, you should ask your father that directly."_

_"As if he'll tell me about it. He'll just say that the less I know the better."_

_"And he's right about that under such circumstances that you and everyone like you are in right now. All I know is that it's part of a limitation made by the Dragon Gods."_

The tone of voice that Flayhm used gave Shinya the impression that he should drop the subject, in which he obliged with, after all, he would need his Spirit Guardian's full cooperation in this mission should he wish his secret to be kept. 'Who knows what lurks in that island' he thought to himself.

Soon, the large vessel holding 30 knights along with their two Captains finally set off. Their 7 days of journey to the unnamed island had finally began. Four days went by with nothing uneventful happening except for Lord Ishige and Lord Hiroaki's constant shouts of giving orders and the likes to their subordinates and their constant banter that even confuses the Captain of the ship.

However, it was on the sixth day of their journey to the island when things began to get problematic as the Captain of the ship told Lords Ishige and Hiroaki of an unavoidable storm that was set to hit them within an hour's time.

"Is there no way to avoid it?" Ishige Orimoto asked calmly despite what lay ahead.

"Unfortunately, there isn't. It would be too late to turn the ship around and find another route to the island, Lord Ishige." The Captain of the ship replied.

"What is the estimated damage on the ship should we continue moving forward?" Hiroaki asked.

"Quite honestly, Lord Kanbara, I would rather not brave this storm. There is a high possibility that we will all survive, however, the ship may not." Came the captain's reply.

"Then full speed ahead." Hiroaki said as he turned around to leave the Captain's Cabin. "We can always repair the ship once we set foot on the island."

"Hiroaki, are you insane? Can you not see the intensity of the storm?" Ishige asked, surprised at his friend's discussion. "Even when we are still hours away from its eye, the storm is already this powerful, what more when we hit the middle of it?"

"You heard the Captain, Ishige." Hiroaki retorted. "There is a high possibility that we will survive. That is enough of a gamble for me."

And with that Hiroaki left the dumfounded Captain and Ishige in the Cabin. Outside of the cabin however, his son stood to face him.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, father?" Shinya asked, uncertainty etched in his face as much as in his voice. "To be quite frank, this is a bit reckless of you."

"There is no need to worry, we can and will make it to the island and back home safely, Shinya." Hiroaki said, not bothering to stop walking towards the deck. "What's important is the mission, and nothing else."

"You do realize that I made a promise to mother that we will both return safely." Shinya called out, but Hiroaki did not bother to turn around or reply.

Shinya sighed. His father was once again being stubborn.  


* * *

Takuya was angry, and he did not bother to hide it from his mother. He had been sulking ever since that morning when he learned that his brother did not even bother to wake him up to say goodbye or to allow him to see him off. And no matter what his mother said, it did not change anything.

"Come on, Takuya, your brother really wanted to wait for you but if he did he would have missed the ship and he would have gotten in trouble with your father." His mother had said.

"But he promised!" Takuya insisted. "He said he won't go without saying goodbye, but he broke that promise! Like every single promise he made…"

His mother sighed. "Takuya, you're brother Shinya has a duty to the King and to the Kingdom. You cannot blame him for prioritizing the Kingdom above all else."

"Father said that the most important thing is family!" Takuya continued to pout. "Father thinks that way and he's already a Captain of the Knights, so why can't brother follow that way of thinking?"

"Well, are you not mad at your father for not saying goodbye?" She asked.

"That's different."

"How so?" the mother continued to ask her son, hoping to make him see how foolish it was to stay mad at his brother for so long. "Your father left much earlier than Shinya did, and he did not wake you up as well."

"Dad didn't make a promise with me that he will wake me up before he go. Brother on the other hand did."

The female Kanbara sighed. She really could not win against his son when it comes right down to it. She smiled inwardly however at how young Takuya seemed to value the importance of keeping promises. Her smile however became one that bears sadness when she remembered what they have done to keep Ishige's daughter and Takuya safe.

"I hope that when you find out about it, Takuya… that you'll forgive us." She thought to herself.  


* * *

The waves crashed with the ship, churning it around as the wind howled and thunder roared. Such was the fierceness of the storm that they were braving. Should it have been any other smaller vessels, they would surely be in much more trouble than they are now, thankfully, the ship that they were on were larger and much sturdier than any smaller vessels.

"I hope you're really prepared to take responsibility for this, Hiroaki." Ishige shouted over the roar of the thunder, the waves and the wind.

"Lighten up, Ishige." Hiroaki shouted back. "We're safe in this ship and with someone as skilled as the captain commandeering it, then there certainly is nothing to fear."

"You're really enjoying this ride, aren't you?" Ishige sighed earning him a laugh from Hiroaki.

Shinya on the other hand sat far from the two men who were busy drinking and sitting out the storm. He could not understand how they could be so calm about it when he could practically hear the creaking sounds of the ship being torn in two… or was it just his imagination…?

_"You should really lighten up, Shinya."_ Flayhm said as he materialized in front of the young Knight. _"It is as your father said, there is nothing to worry about."_

_"Easy for you to say, you're just a spirit. You can't be hurt by anything, and you can't die in a storm."_ Snapped a very stressed Shinya.

_"That's not entirely true. We Spirit Guardians have our own weaknesses you know and we can die as you humans can as well. Besides…"_ Just then, whatever Flayhm was about to say, it was lost, for he suddenly had a strange tingling in his senses. Like someone was beckoning him, calling him and it came from the direction of where they left off from.

Shinya obviously noticed the sudden change in expression of his Spirit Guardian and immediately asked in a worried tone, _"What's wrong? Is something the matter?"_

_"No, i-it's nothing… I just felt woozy that's all."_ Flayhm lied as he thought of what that strange tingling might be.  


* * *

In the Kanbara residence in Shore…

"Mother, I don't feel so well…" Takuya said trotting to his mother's side who was currently busy preparing dinner.

Worried that her son was catching some diseases, his mother immediately touched his forehead and gasped at how hot his son's temperature has become. "You're temperature's hot, Takuya. Come, lie down in your bed."

Takuya could only nod and take his mother's hand as they walked back to his room where his mother made him lie down and rest.

_"That's odd…"_ Takuya's mother thought as she checked his temperature again which had gone off the charts making her more worried than she was before. _"He was feeling well before…"_

But before she could ask what Takuya had been doing, Takuya had already fallen asleep. Believing that this should help him feel better, she let him be.  


* * *

They had braved the storm and had emerged triumphant. And just as Hiroaki had expected, they had made it safely to the unnamed island which was their destination with minimal damage on the ship and no casualties on their men.

Hiroaki grinned as he jumped off of the ship and landed upright on the sandy beach of the island. He then turned around and gave a victory sign to his friend, Ishige who obviously was finding the way the young Captain was acting childish.

"I told you we can make it in one piece, Ishige!" Hiroaki laughed.

"I've already said that I concede. You were right, do I need to keep on repeating that just to stop you from making a fool of yourself in front of your men?" Ishige replied.

"Lord Ishige is right, father. Can you tone your hyper-activity down just a little bit." Shinya said, almost ashamed to be associated with the older Kanbara at the moment.

Hiroaki could only laugh, but then returned to his more serious self when he saw the forest that lay ahead of them and the large ruins in the not so far off distance. "Well, I guess you two are right. Time to get to business. "

Ishige then turned to their men and called out, "Alright, everyone. Time to march for the ruins, we'll go into three groups with eleven people each. Shinya, you go with one group and lead it, Lord Kanbara will lead another group and I'll take on the lead of the last group."

Everyone nodded and Ishige Orimoto continued giving them instructions. It was decided that the three groups would tackle the island grounds from three different directions and that they should report anything out of the ordinary or anything of interest upon meeting at the ruins which was situated at the middle of the island. Once everyone had agreed on it, the three groups went off their separate ways.  


* * *

Takuya's fever had yet to go down, and he had began breathing hoarsely which made his mother all the more worried. So worried in fact that she resorted to the only means she could think of – calling for help.

"I'm sorry to have to call you at such an hour, Lord Kimura." She apologized as she led the Commander Kimura to Takuya's room.

"Don't worry about it." The older man said as he followed her. "Without Hiroaki and Shinya here, I know how much of a burden this is to you."

"Still, I appreciate all the help you're giving Lord Kouta." She said, truly thankful for the older man.

When they got to Takuya's room, Commander Kouta Kimura immediately went to his bedside and placed a hand on Takuya's forehead. Sure enough, he was burning up. Lord Kimura could not help but think how fortunate it was that he had once studied medicine before in his Knight Academy days.

He continued to check up on Takuya, he could not help but think how peculiar his fever was. There were no signs or symptoms at all that could tell them exactly what was wrong with him save that of his temperature. Just as Lord Kouta was about to check Takuya's back, he caught sight of something that surprised him to no end…

"The mark…" He gasped.  


* * *

"This place really is amazingly huge." Shinya muttered to himself as he, along with the two other groups entered the ruins to start their search. The sooner their investigation was done, the sooner they can get off of the island and get back home.

"Stop gawking, Shinya." Hiroaki said. "Keep your eyes and your senses peeled. Who knows what kinds of traps there are in here and…"

"I know, father." Shinya cut his father off from saying any more. "I am on my guard. Still, what exactly are we looking for in here?"

"Anything that could give the King an idea regarding the Chosen Ones and that Ancient Manuscript that was dug out." Ishige replied.

"I cannot believe I am actually doing this mission." Shinya sighed. "After all, I am a…"

"No need to say it." Ishige stopped the young man from saying anymore. "And I understand where you are coming from Shinya, but if we did not do this, we might put ourselves in a whole lot of trouble with the King."

Shinya sighed.

Just then, he caught sight of something. A silhouette moving along the eastern wall. He immediately reported this to his father and Lord Ishige and the three of them, leaving their companions behind, immediately rushed to the scene.

When they arrived at the room where they saw the silhouette enter, they were surprised to meet an old man sitting on top a large boulder.

The old man seemed not to have notice the three men who had entered into the darkened room as he continued to puff on his pipe.

Wondering at what on old man could possibly be doing in the ruins of an uncharted island which had previously been reported to be uninhabited, Hiroaki called out to the old man.

"You there, old man, what are you doing here?" He asked, his voice that of an officer.

"Should I not be the one asking that of you, Lord Hiroaki Kanbara?" the old man replied without turning to face them. "What brings you, Lord Ishige and your son as well as thirty of your men in this lone island?"

"H-how did you know who we are?" Shinya asked, taken aback with the old man. He then asked Flayhm, _"Do you feel anything weird about him? Is he like a spirit or something?"_

_"No, he doesn't feel anything like that. I can't say for certain, but there is something about that old man…" _Was the Spirit Guardian's reply.

"That doesn't matter much as to why you are all here." The old man replied. "If you are looking for something to connect the dots between your so-called Chosen Ones and to whatever your King wants, then you have come to the right place, however, I must insist that you leave at once."

"Sorry, old man, but we cannot do that." Hiroaki said. "But perhaps we will leave if you agree to come along with us and meet our King. You seem to know a lot about Chosen Ones."

"Oh, I know a lot alright. For starters, I know that you three hold that kind of power, but only one of you can access it." The old man said, his back still turned. "However, I cannot leave this place and I do not wish to either."

"How do you know about that?" Ishige asked, he was amazed at how the old man knew of their secret.

The old man did not reply as he only continued puffing smoke from his pipe. They could not see him clearly thanks to the darkness of the room.

"Shinya, why don't you light this place up so that we can get a better view of the old man?" Ishige whispered over to the young man.

Shinya nodded and within moments, the entire room was lit. The moment that the room brightened however was also the exact moment when the old man disappeared.

"Who was that old man?" Hiroaki asked the question that was on everyone's mind at that moment. However, their suspicions on who the old man was suddenly disappeared as they heard a voice echo through the room, which they have realized was far larger than they had first thought.

"You should not have done that young Shinya." Came the old man's voice.

"Where are you, old man?" Shinya called out.

"I am right here." Was the reply, albeit he did not show himself to them. "I will give you three one final chance. Decide now on whether you leave this place as it is or stick to your mission that the King has given you. Which will it be?"

"Why do we need to decide on something that is rather obvious?" Ishige asked. "We came here in search of knowledge regarding our kin, the price we will pay for returning without the knowledge of the Chosen Ones is far greater than you can comprehend, sir."

"Oh, but I think you are mistaken Lord Ishige Orimoto." The old man's voice continued to echo. "The price you will pay is beyond YOUR comprehension. You see, before you lies the Gates of Gaia. Perhaps you have heard of it, correct?"

Just as the old man's voice echoed through the air as he said 'Gates of Gaia' the sound of electricity flowing through the room erupted and for the first time, all three of them saw with much clarity a portal-like space floating in the middle of a round archway.

"The Gates of Gaia?" Shinya asked, oblivious to what was in front of him.

"The one from the ancient manuscript?" Hiroaki asked, dumfounded that he was face to face with what the King desired the most. "This is what the King is searching for."

"That can't be. The manuscript states that all ten powers must be present for it to be summoned… but the only power here is Shinya's." Ishige reminded him.

"The knowledge you all want lies beyond the portal, the portal that your beloved King has decided to get his hands on. However, you must know that by taking this portal you will be responsible for what happens to the world whose balance in it depends." The old man explained. "Chosen Ones were meant to keep that knowledge and to keep the balance, however, it seems that deep within your hearts there is something that you yearn for more than what was intended for you and your destinies."

"Why are you telling us and showing us this?" Ishige asked, suspicious all of the sudden. The old man was being contradictory to what he had earlier said about not giving them any information of what they were searching. Is it a trap? What is it that the old man intends for them to do? For them to decide?

"To make things interesting." Was the old man's answer which the young Captain did not buy. "The Dragon God of Darkness seems intent on showing you humans that which needs to be hidden, which is the Gates of Gaia. Now that the Gates of Gaia is in front of you, what will you do? Take the knowledge and the power that resides within it and destroy the balance or walk away and tell your King that what he wishes for cannot be attained."

"Hiroaki, I don't think we should proceed any further." Ishige whispered. "Something is definitely wrong here, and I am not just talking about the old man nor this so-called Gate."

"You worry too much, Ishige. The answer to all our problems lie before us. With the Gates of Gaia, we no longer need to fear the King. We can make sure that our families are both safe, and Kousei's sacrifice will not be in vain."

"That is besides the point, Hiroaki. This may be a trap set by the old man. We know nothing of the gate, there is no record of what it can accomplish in the manuscript or in what the King has told us. Who knows what danger awaits should we step anywhere near it." Ishige tried to reason with his friend. "I believe the old man is warning us but at the same time taunting us. It is not wise to not think this through and to act rashly on the matter."

"And you are being too careful on this, you are worrying over nothing. Even Shinya cannot detect any form of malice with his power." Hiroaki said, then he faced his son, "Am I right, Shinya?"

Shinya nodded. "There is nothing dangerous in here, or so my senses and Flayhm's senses says. Lord Ishige, I understand your reservation on the matter, but this is our chance to finally be free of the King. If he gets his hands on this now even without the Chosen Ones, then he will believe that he no longer needs them. "

"Still, we should think this through…" Ishige said but was cut off once again by the old man's voice.

"So, what will it be? What will you choose?"

Ishige stepped back. He had already made his decision to just walk away from the room and he had made this known to the old man, whoever that old man may be.

"What about you Lord Hiroaki and Lord Shinya? Which path will you take? One fraught with sorrow or one fraught with regret?"

"Walk away, Hiroaki." Ishige pleaded. "Just walk away, whatever promise the King has made you think not of it. I feel that this is beyond what we should be dealing with, beyond our comprehension."

"You still don't understand don't you, Ishige?" Hiroaki finally said in a monotonous voice as if he was being pulled by the splendor of the portal and the promise that had echoed in his mind – the promise that the King has made to those who would give him information on what he desired the most. "To King Seraphim, power is everything. Shinya and Takuya deserve a future where they need not fear if, on Shinya's case, his secret is revealed to the King and in Takuya's case, the safety of his brother. Do you not wish to free Izumi from the burden she may carry as your daughter? As one with the same blood of a Chosen One as you?"

"I would rather walk a path of sorrow than of regret." Shinya voiced out. "I don't want to continue living while hiding my true identity to those around me. Even on those times when my power could have saved a person's life but I was not allowed to use it. I want to be able to use my power when I want to."

"So, what will it be? Step forward should you wish not to turn back."

And so they did. They stepped forward.

"You have made, the wrong decision." Said the old man as he materialized before them. Separating the two Kanbaras from the Gates of Gaia. "You should know better than to sacrifice the world for the sake of a select few. For that, you only prove that you deserve not the power of a Chosen One nor the name and title that goes with it."

And with a blinding flash of light, the old man disappeared leaving a stunned Hiroaki and Shinya on a dark room. Just then, both suddenly fell to the ground writhing in pain as if their skin were being burned.

"Hiroaki! Shinya!" shouted Ishige, then just then, all around the ruins, pained screams could be heard. Screams of their subordinates as if they were feeling the same pain that the two Kanbaras were feeling. "What's going on?"

_"Shinya, I don't like this…"_ Flayhm spoke, _"I feel strange, as if I'm being sucked out of you… argh.."_

_"F-Flayhm…"_ Shinya could only breathe out the name of his Guardian Spirit. _"What's happening? Why is this happening?"_

"Darn it, hold on both of you." Ishige said as he tried his best to raise both of his companions up and drag them out of the room. The moment that they were out of the room, the ground began to shake and rumble. "Old man! Where are you! Show yourself?"

"Are you certain you wish to save their lives?" the old man's voice echoed once again this time in the crumbling hallway of the ruins. "This is what they have chosen, yet you are willing to risk your life for them?"

"They are my companions, my allies, my friends. I do not abandon my friends, old man." Ishige spoke as he continued to drag Shinya and Hiroaki out of the ruins. "What did you do to them and to my men?"

"I gave them what they deserve." The old man said as he showed himself once again to Ishige. "They have chosen the path of regret, whilst you the path of sorrow. That young Captain, your friend Hiroaki has chosen to continue being the dog of the King who has become but a shadow of his former self, a puppet of the Dragon God of Darkness and for that he will be cursed to continue following his master's voice, yielding to his every command. He will lose those that he care for the most, and he will learn to regret the decision he has made on this day. While that young man, Shinya Kanbara, would never attain which he so desperately desires. Like his father, he too will lose everything starting with his flesh and he will be but a spirit in need of a vessel."

"Why!?" Ishige could not believe what he was hearing. "Why must be punished like this? Would this also stretch to their family?"

"I have given them a choice, to turn from the beckoning of the Dark One or to follow him. They have chosen the later." The old man explained, sadness visible in his eyes. "I did not curse them, it is _he_ who did, all is moving according to his plans, Ishige Orimoto. This will be but the start of a string of events that will bring down chaos to the world. I have tried to fight _his_ plans, but apparently, human's earthly desires are strongly pulled by him."

"What are you talking about? Who is it that you speak of?"

"King Luca, however, you must not fret. For I promise hope to you, though at the same time despair for your friendship." The old man said. "Shinya's powers is no longer his but his brother's. You must not let that knowledge be known to his father no matter the cost. This place will vanish until the wheel once again turns and the chance for salvation arrives. Until then, be vigilant for the forces of King Luca."

"I-I don't understand, what do you mean, old man?"

"You will learn of it when the time comes."

And with that the old man vanished, never to be seen again.  


* * *

"I fear that something had happened to Shinya." Lord Kouta said, ready to break the news to the female Kanbara.

"What do you mean, Lord Kouta? How would you know of such a thing?" she asked.

"The Kanbara bloodline is one of the bloodlines whose power as a Chosen One is given to the first born. Should the first born perish, it will be transferred to the next child in the family so long as the next child has yet to bear his own child." Lord Kouta began to explain his findings over the years. "That was the reason, as I have come to know, why Ishige and Hiroaki, as well as myself, have lost our powers once we had children of our own."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, the mark of a Chosen One has appeared on Takuya's back. That mark could only mean one thing, that Takuya had earned his power as a Chosen One of Flame which also means that…"

"T-that can't be!" She said trying to fight back tears. "Shinya cannot die in an expedition. There must be some mistake. Perhaps you are wrong with your findings, Lord Kouta."

"I wish that was so, but…" Lord Kouta said.

"Please…"

Lord Kouta could not help but hold his tongue. The look of a grieving mother was enough to only allow him to mutter a small 'I am sorry' before leaving and checking up on Takuya one final time. It was then that he saw the marking on Takuya's back glowing a faint orange glow, proof that he had indeed inherited his brother's power.  


* * *

His eyes showed no emotion as he watched his son's body slowly being eaten away by fire. They were back at the ship, in Shinya's cabin. Shinya was still unconscious and his flesh was slowly being consumed by blue flames. Ishige noted that it was as the old man had said.

"Which would also mean that Hiroaki is no longer himself… that he had succumbed to the darkness that was beckoning us all." He thought.

"How could this have happened?" Hiroaki asked in a lifeless manner. "My son…"

"Hiroaki, there is nothing we can do about it now." Ishige said, picking his words carefully. He has no idea what this 'new' Hiroaki would do.

"What am I to say to his mother and to his brother?"

"The truth of what happened."

"There is no way that I can say that it was because of what we have both decided. That old man tricked us. That has to be it!"

"Hiroaki! Snap out of it!" Ishige shouted. "It is not the old man's fault. You were… you were blinded by some other force."

"Perhaps that is easy for you to say since you were saved by your being too careful about everything!" Hiroaki shouted back. "I think you planned this… perhaps you have heard of what the King had offered me… perhaps you were jealous and wanted to get rid of us both."

"You're being delusional, Hiroaki." Ishige retorted. "If I had planned on this happening, I would have left you in that ruins while it was collapsing. You are my friend, Hiroaki and I could never betray you."

"Enough!" Hiroaki said. "Leave us be."

"Hiroaki…"

"I said go!"

The moment that Ishige had left, Hiroaki heard a strange voice which instructed him to chant words of which he knew not the meaning of. When he did, Shinya disappeared and in his stead was a knight in dark armor.

_"That should keep your son alive for a while longer, a payment if you will for choosing to side with me."_ Said a voice out of the air. _"Keep working for me and I will revive your son…_"

That was all Hiroaki needed to hear for him to agree. He was certain of it, it was the voice of his King… and a voice that holds a promise that he would do anything to be fulfilled.  


* * *

A day has passed since Takuya inherited his brother's power. At that very morning, Lord Kouta Kimura returned to the Kanbara residence and told her what he had learned from Ishige via the use of the Messenger Bird.

"So what you were telling me yesterday was true…" She said, the happiness and life was drained out of her voice. "Shinya is really gone…"

Kouta nodded. "I am sorry. It appears that Hiroaki is even more determined to get his hands on the Chosen Ones as well. According to Ishige, he had already fought with Hiroaki regarding handing over his daughter to the King. Which is the reason why he had asked me to send her off to a different city, far away from Hiroaki and to ensure that she remembers nothing of her powers. To start anew as Ishige said."

"Why are you telling me Ishige's plan when Hiroaki is my husband?" She asked.

"Because, he had also asked me to hide Takuya away and do the same to him that I would do to Izumi." Kouta explained. "I am here to ask you permission to send him to a safer place until the time that he himself can hide his ability."

"Are you saying that Hiroaki would hand Takuya over to the King when he learns of Shinya's powers transferring to him?" She asked. "But Takuya is also his son!"

"The man you once knew as Hiroaki Kanbara apparently no longer exists. I fear troubling times have finally arrived at the Kingdom. I am sorry, but for the sake of Takuya and your safety, I have to seal his memory as well and modify it. So that he will never remember living in Shore nor that his mother is still alive. That he will not remember that he had a brother. Nor of anything that had happened. That is, until the time that he himself is able to unseal his memories."

She thought for a while. If what Lord Kouta was saying is true, then Takuya's life was in peril and so was her life, and the lives of every single person who knows of Chosen Ones. She had no choice but to concede and allow Lord Kouta to do what was necessary.

"I will agree on one condition. That you will allow me to tell Takuya everything , so that when the time comes that he does remember, he will know what I have told him." She said, and this Lord Kouta agreed to.

Soon afterwards, Takuya's memory was sealed once more and he was sent to Harim, where Lord Kouta instructed the elders to give him false information whenever he asks of the marking on his back or of his family.

"But tell him the truth of his father," he had said. "Find a way to hide that mark and when you manage to do so, I will inform Hiroaki that his son is in Harim so that he will allow young Takuya to train in the Knight Academy with my grandson."

And the elders of Harim agreed.  


* * *

In the Organization secret base…

"You seem to be lost in thought yet again, Yuriko…" Lord Kouta Kimura said as he entered the Leader's room and saw her standing by the window, her auburn hair being blown by the wind and her eyes held the look of sadness in them.

Yuriko was surprised to hear the General's voice. "Oh, Lord Kouta, you surprised me. I did not hear you come in."

"I am sorry for surprising you, but may I ask what it was you were thinking about? Perhaps this old man and old friend can help ease your thoughts."

Yuriko smiled. "Thank you, Lord Kouta. You have always been there for me and my family ever since I could remember."

"Of course, our families seem to have quite a bit in common, don't you agree?" Lord Kouta said with a smile. "Now, what is it that has been bothering you?"

"I was just thinking, remembering that day when it all changed." She replied. "Did we really do the right thing in sealing Takuya and Izumi's memories as well as your grandson's memories, Lord Kouta? I cannot help but think that nothing really changed… Hiroaki and the King still managed to end up victorious. We are all still fighting and this whole thing had exploded to more than we can handle."

The General listened as a good friend would and said. "We have changed what we can. Your son and the rest of the Chosen Ones are still alive, although we do not know where he and Izumi are at the moment, but that is still a big change, a big difference should we have failed to do what we did. However, what I would like to know is how Hiroaki learned that Takuya had the power of a Chosen One. None of us told him that and the elders certainly did not."

"Then perhaps one of the Chosen Ones did." Yuriko Kanbara guessed.

"Well, I suppose we could ask Hiroaki at the final battle." General Kimura said. "Tell me, Yuriko. Are you going to tell Takuya the truth of his mother? When we sealed his memories you asked me to completely erase his memory of you being alive and to make sure that even though he had broken the seal that he would still not remember you, why is that?"

"I have felt, at that time and even now, that it would protect us both." Yuriko replied. "It would only pain me to see how much Hiroaki had transformed and I fear to know what he would do once he learns that I am still alive."

"But he will learn eventually, both your husband and your son will certainly know." The old general said. "You will have a hard time explaining it to them, especially to Takuya."

"Then perhaps I could be of assistance when that day comes." Ishige Orimoto joined in.

"Are you sure about that, Ishige?" Lord Kouta asked.

Ishige Orimoto nodded. "Yes, it is, after all, partly my fault."  


* * *

**To be Continued…**

**Post Author's Note:**

Well, this certainly is much longer than any of my uploaded chapters. I would have broken these chapter into two, but decided not to do it.

Anyhow, a little bit explanation is necessary since this is quite long and may be confusing to some, so here it goes.

This whole chapter starts as a flash back on what happened years ago and explains how things ended the way they were. Hiroaki and Ishige had been friends for so long and were both Captains before they fought. Though it was not explained at the main story above, Hiroaki earned the tile Commander upon his return to the Castle while Ishige earned his on merit.

Takuya was not originally a Chosen One. He got his powers off from Shinya when Shinya was 'cursed' as mentioned. Of all the Chosen Ones, Takuya is an original one (this is an AU fic, after all, so I decided to do that).

When Takuya was sent to Harim as a precaution, his memories were sealed and modified. He never knew that Yuriko was his mother. However, at this point however, Takuya had already moved from Harim to Shore, but he was sent back to Harim to hide him from his father momentarily while the elders find a way to hide his identity as a Chosen One from Hiroaki.

Also, the scene where Lord Kouta Kimura saw the mark on Takuya's back was the exact same time that Shinya was being eaten by the Blue Flames.

Izumi never lived in Shore, though. Just to clarify that. Also, if you guys haven't guessed the mansion of the Organization is also the same house that the Kanbara family used to live in.

Another thing, I have already let it out. Yuriko (aka the Organization's Leader) is Takuya and Shinya's mother. I think it was already apparent at the start of this chapter but I absolutely sealed it in on the last part.

The old man here is Valthoria (aka Daichi) as well, and this chapter (minus the Yuriko-Ishige-Kouta conversation) is basically the explanation that Daichi gave to Takuya and Izumi, more on this on the next chapter of course when we get back on our heroes.

Now, if you guys are still confused or have some questions or clarifications, you can ask that and I will answer your query (except if they are still to be answered on the succeeding chapters) on the next update. Just click on the review button and send me a note and I'll get back on you on that.

Well, there are still some missing pieces here and there, which would be answered to on the following chapters. So until then, this is a very tired Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out!

Until next time!  
Take Care, Everyone!

**End of Post Author's Notes**


	49. Dawn of Departure

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes:**

Well, I did say (on my blog) that I would be uploading this chapter before friday and I did! Woot! Can you guys believe that? Lol.

Anyways, I would be trying to update this and CoT:CW on a weekly basis now. Although I have to say that you guys might not get a new chapter next week since I have my 2nd Semester Preliminary exams. Anyways, more on this and other announcements on the Post Author's Notes. Right now you guys just enjoy this new chapter of RotM!

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Dawn of Departure**

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Takuya could not believe what he was hearing and neither could Izumi. All those things that Daichi, no, that Valthoria had told them were impossible, yet, what could this old man gain from lying to them about it?

Takuya could not help but see how all that Valthoria had told them fits in to the explanation of how his father had suddenly changed. He could also not help but remember the many times that he had been compared with his father and had been told to make sure not to make the same mistake as he did – he did not understand what they had meant then, but now, it somehow makes more sense.

"You can't be seriously telling us that all of what you say is true." Izumi was the one who spoke up first after the great revelation. "There is just no way that my father or Takuya's father for that matter could have been here before."

"I have nothing to gain from both of you by lying." Valthoria told them. "I simply told you the accounts of what had happened on this very island several years ago. I had simply told you the truth."

"I don't understand," Takuya said. "you say that Chosen Ones are descendants from the first group of people whom you and your kin have chosen to hold your powers. If that's so, how come our parents act as if they knew nothing of the matter? Surely they would have said something to us about all of this before. Besides, why tell this to us now? What good will it do to tell us all of this now?"

"I cannot answer on behalf of your family as why they would hide the truth of your ancestry. They would, without a doubt however, have reasons behind their actions that may not make sense to anyone but themselves at the moment. However, if there is something that I have learned from humans, it is that everything will be revealed in time." Valthoria answered calmly. "As for your other question, would it not be better to know now than to be shock later when you battle against your brother, Takuya? He may not be as lenient as he was before when you were still a captive of your father right after being captured and held for treason when you saved Izumi's life. Also, I believe that his true colors would resurface now, he is beginning to regain his memories of himself rather than of being another 'you'."

"What do you mean by that? Are you telling me that I have met my brother before?" Takuya asked, his head was already spinning from all the informationn he has learned. "I think I would have recognized Shinya."

It was then that Takuya realized that he had indeed seen his brother. He remembered that masked man who led the Black Knights into capturing him whilst he was on the train back to the Academy. He remembered the man who led his torture as he was chained and captured in Ardelhyde Castle. It was then that he added to his previous statement, "You can't mean... that masked man?"

Valthoria nodded. "Yes. After being forced to inhabit a Knight Suit, your father found a way for your brother, Shinya's body to be remade. It was all thanks to the Dragon God of Darkness that the contraption which managed to drain or should I say, 'extract' your powers and the powers of your friends came into being. Not only that, Takuya, but because of this, your brother had been posing as you in the form of your so-called Clone."

"I don't understand." Izumi said. "The Clone said that he was born from what was extracted off Takuya, that he was an exact replica. How can you say that he is in fact Shinya?"

"Like I have said, it is all thanks to the powers of the Dragon God of Darkness, Aster." Valthoria answered, his voice sounded weary. "It is true that he, as a clone, was born from the Ancient Power taken from Takuya, which used to be his own power. But since he, as Shinya, can no longer wield the Power of Fire, they had to resort to other means. By taking on Takuya's personality, his memory, and even his life, he was able to fool the spirit of the Dragon God of Flame, Melto and was able to control that power which he had lost. Of course, for the power to return to him, he must obtain it first. And he has done so by taking Takuya's eye – which was the center of his power, the place where descendants of Melto's Chosen store their powers, and consume it."

At this, Takuya instinctively touched his right eye. It was then that he thought that if this so-called Lord of the Dragon Gods knew so much, then maybe he could answer one question that had been nagging on his mind for a while now. And so, without hesitation Takuya asked, "Tell me then, Lord Valthoria, what happened to Flayhme? How come I can no longer communicate nor see him even in the dream world and instead of him I see a fearsome creature whenever I try?"

Valthoria remained silent for a while as if to contemplate on what to answer to the young man's query. The silence that filled the large room with the Gates of Gaia made Izumi uneasy and Takuya restless.

A sigh escaped Valthoria's lips before he replied. "When your brother... or should I say, the Clone... attacked you on your way to Shore and consumed your eye and most of your awakened power along it, he was in a way reunited with what was truly his – his power as a Chosen One. With that power, and in every passing day that he learns to control it again, he is also regaining his status as a Chosen One, while you lose yours. And because of that, the Spirit Guardian, which is tasked to protect and to teach a Chosen One – in this case, Flayhme – was reunited with Shinya."

Valthoria took a while to stop and let the information sink in to the two youths before he went on. "A Spirit Guardian, which is the embodiment of the past Chosen Ones who had been tasked to aide the new generation of Chosen Ones, takes their form base on the Chosen One's heart. If the Chosen One's heart is inclined to light then the Spirit Guardian would manifest itself in a form that is holy by nature however, if the Chosen One's heart has been engulfed by evil, then the Spirit Guardian would then manifest itself as an atrocity. The visions or dreams of a monster that you have been seeing is Flayhme who is perhaps trying to convey a message to you, Takuya."

Takuya was shocked to learn of what happened to his Guardian and friend. What's more, from what he could understand from Valthoria, that would also mean that he was no longer a Chosen One.

"Are you saying then, Lord Valthoria, that Takuya is no longer a Chosen One?" Izumi asked as if to confirm what she also could deduce from what the Lord of the Dragon Gods had said.

"He was not a Chosen One to begin with." Was Valthoria's answer. "He only became a Chosen One since he was Shinya's brother and the power must continue to be passed down through the ages of a bloodline. But, to answer your question, then yes, he is no longer a Chosen One. However, since the Clone or Shinya was only able to take Takuya's awakened power as a Chosen One, the dormant power lying inside Takuya that is now beginning to resurface is allowing him to retain his abilities as a Chosen One."

"It sure does explain a lot of things, but at the same time, it complicates things even further." Izumi said, sadness evident in her eyes. "But why take us here? You could have told this to us down at your hut."

"Would you have believed me without this place as proof?" Valthoria replied, then added. "Not only that, but also because like his father and brother before him, Takuya needs to make a choice. Like your father, Hiroaki and your brother, Shinya before you, I am also going to allow you to still change your destiny."

"Wait, what are you saying? Why must Takuya chose? I can't allow you to ask Takuya to choose between two things where the consequences are far too much for him to bear." Izumi asked, she was not about to lose Takuya the same way that his father had lost his friend.

Valthoria merely looked at Izumi, then turned to face Takuya as if he had not heard her speak. "Takuya Kanbara, I ask you to make a choice. For you to be standing at the very exact place as your father and brother before you is no coincidence but an inevitability. I ask that you choose: Will you concede what remains of your power or will you choose to hold on to it?"

Izumi looked at Takuya, he had a pained look on his face. And who wouldn't after hearing such startling revelations? At first, they had thought that the Clone, his father and the King were doing this for nothing but their own selfish desires – that there was no other story behind it. But now, things were a lot different. The Clone which had introduced itself as another Takuya was in fact Takuya's older brother, Shinya Kanbara; Hiroaki Kanbara, Takuya's father, was at first forced to do the evil bidings of the Dragon God of Darkness and of the King, Luca, in order to save Shinya's life until he was consumed by his own dark desires; What's more, it was now revealed to them that Takuya's mother, whom he had believed to be dead, was alive and that their family had known each other farther than they had thought.

Izumi could also add the revelation about Flayhme into the mix. Takuya had not only lost a partner and a guardian but also a friend and now he may be forced into fighting his family. Izumi could not help but wish that there was something she could do for the young man whom she loves. She could also not help but wonder what Takuya's choice would be and what the consequences would entail his choice.

"What...what exactly am I choosing?" Takuya asked, his voice rather rasp.

Valthoria turned around to look at the Gates of Gaia before he answered. "Takuya, you are not a Chosen One but you have the powers and abilities of one. Although this power is weak compared to the rest of the Chosen Ones it is still powerful. Because of your abilities – those which you should not possess, you are at the moment still labeled as Melto's Chosen but at the very same time, Shinya also has the same power although his is much stronger than yours and he is also labeled as Melto's Chosen. This is causing an imbalance in the world that could ultimately lead into the resurrection of the evil king, Luca and the world's destruction there after. The only way to stop it is for you to concede your powers to your older brother. However, should you choose to do so, it will exponentially increase the power of the Empire and they will ultimately gain what it is that they so desire. Many lives will be lost but the resurrection of Luca and the world's destruction could be held off but there is also a slim chance that Luca will be resurrected much sooner if you choose to concede. In other words, Takuya, what you are choosing is the future of the world."

"This has to be a joke!" Takuya said, gripping his fist in anger. "How could you make someone like me hold the fate of the world? I do not find that fair to the world and its denizens!"

"But that is the way of the world, Takuya. That is the inevitability as desired by the flow of time." Valthoria said as he turned to face the angry young man. "You are the one who can make a difference now. Your choice may seem like a small ripple but it could turn into a powerful tide that could wipe the entire world at the same time it would seem like a powerful tide that could rip the world apart but in reality could hold no influence at all. I cannot offer you any other choice nor can I offer that choice to anyone else."

"Why? You're supposed to be the Lord of the Dragon Gods, right?" Takuya asked, shouting in the process. "Can't you summon the other Dragon Gods and put an end to all of this? You have done it before, you can seal the Dragon God of Darkness and that King Luca once again."

Silence before Valthoria replied, "All the other Dragon Gods... they are all dead now."

"What? That can't be right. How can such powerful beings die? Aren't you all suppose to be immortals?" Izumi asked.

"Yes. Immortals by choice." Replied Valthoria then he went on to say, "And just as we chose to be immortals, we can also choose to be mortals. My kinsmen too made a choice. They chose to remain in their human forms and to go on living as mortals when they passed on their powers. They believed strongly in what humans are capable of – creating their own future. They, as I have, also believed that those who would possess their powers would use if for good rather than evil intentions."

"I...see." Izumi said as she saw how hard it was for Valthoria to talk about them. "I'm sorry to have brought that up."

"There is no need to apologize, Izumi." Valthoria said with a sad smile, then he faced towards Takuya and asked. "What would be your choice then, Takuya Kanbara? Would you concede or would you continue to take hold of that power?"

Takuya looked from Izumi to Valthoria then closed his eyes. He could not believe that this was all real. After all, it was only in books that he had read of a single person being given a choice that could affect the future of the whole world. Choosing for himself was hard enough, but to choose on behalf of the whole world... it was far harder.

And so, Takuya's reply was the reply hat he could think of at the moment. "Do I have to choose now?"

"I was hoping you would ask that." Valthoria said with a smile. "You would not need to choose right away and it is not to me whom you would be giving your answer to as well. The time to choose is nearing, however, and when that time comes you must be able to give your answer with conviction."

Takuya nodded. Izumi noticed how serious Takuya looked as he asked Valthoria his question and had accepted the answer given to him. Aftter their conversation, Valthoria took them all down to the hut where he allowed both Izumi and Takuya to rest as he went on with his business as if nothing had ever happened.

As they were alone, Izumi could not help but sigh.

"Izumi, is there something wrong?" Takuya asked the moment that the sigh escaped Izumi's lips.

"Nothing really... It's just that we have gotten ourselves in a far deeper hole than I could ever have imagined." She replied as she let her head rest on Takuya's shoulder. "A year ago, all I ever really wanted was to remember who that boy in my dreams was. But, look where that brought me."

"It brought you with together with the very same person whom you were looking for." Takuya replied while laughing, then he said. "A year ago, all I ever hoped for was to remember a promise that seemed so important and, of course, to get by the Academy and become a full-pledged Knight. Then look at what happened, I got into an unbelievable assignment with the daughter of the man who my father abhors, got chased by thieves, busted the daughter of my father's rival as well as another Chosen One out of prison, got arrested and thrown into prison where I was tortured for rescuing them and was even labeled as a traitor to the kingdom, had to lay low for a long time pretending I was dead, got dragged all around the world thanks to the Organization when I was secretly protecting the woman that I have fallen in-love with, got my right out ripped out and eaten by a clone who really happens to be my older brother, lost most of my power which now I know did not really belong to me to begin with, had to be left behind while my friends went to rescue an old friend of mine, had to brave through the waters by myself following them, was almost killed by a psychotic woman who wants to be with me, almost fell to my death after that, had to be interrogated by my father's rival who obviously did not trust me, was worried sick when the woman I love fell into a very, very long sleep, had to brave the great storm and the ocean once again as I escaped with that very same woman on a boat which the Organization greatly hails as a technological advancement only to get stranded on this bizarre island where I learn that everything I know was a lie... how's that for unexpected twists."

"You didn't have to bring all those things up, you know." Izumi said in which Takuya merely laughed as if he had no worries or cares in the world. "Wait a second, what did you say about my father interrogating you?"

"I may have over-stated that." Takuya said with a grin, "He was always there watching whenever I was with you when you were sleeping. And he kept on and on about not trusting me entirely. Anyways, that's besides the point. I just can't help but wonder why I always get the short end of the stick."

"I'm sorry." Izumi suddenly apologized. "I know I shouldn't act like I have more problems than you do at the moment, but still... If my father had done a better job of stopping your father and Shinya, then maybe none of this would have happened."

"I was only joking when I said those things, I did not mean to blame you or anyone for them." Takuya said worried that he might have let his big mouth talk and talk once again without thinking and ended up hurting Izumi's feelings. "Besides, you have every right to feel that way. You shouldn't apologize for what your father may have done or failed to do. It isn't your family's fault. Besides, I don't regret how things turned out. If none of these things happened then who knows if we would have ever met again. Not only that, but another good thing is that I've learned that my mother is still alive."

Izumi could not help but smile at this. "You certainly are something. You know, when I finally realized who you really were and remembered those things that I have forgotten... or should I say, was sealed from memories... All I had then wished for was for us to be together."

Takuya grinned at what Izumi had just said and gave her a small peck on the lips. "Don't worry about it. No matter what happens we will be together. I won't let anything happen to you and I promise I won't do anything reckless that could get me killed."

Izumi smiled. She could not help but continue to compare how different Takuya was with his brother – or at least, the Shinya she knew as a Clone. Then she asked, "Do you think that now with your brother's memories of himself returning that he would stop chasing after me? It's kind of weird to think of your brother still continuing his so-called 'hunt'."

"Not for the same reasons as before." Takuya replied, a hint of seriousness in his voice. "As long as they still do not have your extracted power, I'm sure he will come after us again and again. Try as he may, though, I won't let him get what he and the Emperor wants."

"Does that mean that you're not planning on surrendering your powers?" Izumi asked as their conversation suddenly turned serious.

"I still don't know what path I would choose." Takuya replied with all honesty. "I don't think anyone could make such a decision... and I don't want to be reckless about it as well. All I am saying is that with or without my powers as a Chosen One, I will do everything I can to make sure that they won't lay a single finger on you much more harm you."

Izumi smiled and gave Takuya a hug as she whispered the words 'Thank You' to him.

* * *

"Your majesty, it's almost time." He said.

"Are you worried?" Came the reply of the noble.

"I would be lying if I say I wasn't." Was the answer. "There is no turning back, I know that. However, I cannot help but feel regret."

"Darkness feeds on regret." the noble said. "It can take hold of anyone at any moment. You should learn to remember that."

"Yes, of course."

* * *

"We don't have much of a choice now, Commander." Kouji said as soon as night fell and he was left with Commander Orimoto to guard him on his study. "The forces of the empire are getting stronger everyday. It won't take long now before we are no match for them..."

"Yes, I understand your concerns, Lord Kouji." the Commander said. "However, I cannot agree to your proposal. It is much to risky."

"Then what are we suppose to do? Our numbers are few and are weak from all the fighting. Not only that but from where we stand it would only take a matter of days before everyone's morale is extinguished."

"That is why I told you not to concern yourself with the upcoming battle."

"And that is what I do not understand most of all, Commander." Kouji continued on. "The upcoming battle is perhaps one of the most significant battles we have to fight in this war. Why must I not concern myself with it?"

"That is because I already have made the proper arrangements for it." the Commander finally gave in his reply. "Everything has already been set Kouji, but this one battle is the one battle that neither you nor the other Chosen Ones need not to participate in."

"Why? How could anything or anyone else besides us withstand those powered up knights that they've been using?" Kouji continued on with his questions.

"That is perhaps something that I cannot discuss with you any further." The Commander replied. "Just rest assured, Vice Commander, everything will turn out fine in this battle. Now, you should rest."

"But--!"

"That is an order, Vice Commander." Ishige Orimoto's voice suddenly became stern and at once, Kouji knew that it was pointless to debate the matter further. And so, with one final sigh, Kouji excused himself from his superior.

The moment that Kouji stepped out of the room, Ishige could not help but let out a sigh. He was exhausted and he knew that what was about to come next would not be as easy as anyone could possibly hope.

"Are you really sure about all of this?" Came General Kimura's voice as he suddenly appeared out of nowhere to stand before the Commander. "What you are planning, Ishige is much too dangerous. There has to be another way that we can think of."

"There is no other way, Kouta... at least, right now." Ishige replied not seemingly surprised nor disturbed by Kouta Kimura's sudden appearance in the room. "This way, I can finally understand why it is that we are both different from the rest of our ancestors."

"Then I can deduce that Valthoria did not say anything about that matter?" Kouta asked as he sat down on the chair overlooking the eastern window.

"Nothing about that. Although he did tell me that both Izumi and Takuya are safe in his care... for the time being at least." Ishige answered as he too sat down on the chair adjacent to the one that Lord Kouta was using. "What's more, it appears that we can no longer hide behind our lies."

"Ah, so then they both know of the truth already?" A nod from Ishige Orimoto was the answer. And Kouta added another query. "What about Yuriko? Does she know that her son knows the truth that his mother is still alive?"

"I have not yet sent word to her about what Valthoria said." the Commander replied. "However, just because Takuya knows of his mother being alive does not mean that Valthoria told him who exactly his mother is. But I can imagine how we both would need to explain ourselves to them once they have returned... or at least, should we ever see them again."

"It would appear that you have lost some of your dislike for the boy, Ishige." Kouta said with a small chuckle.

"I have not. I still do not believe that he is any different from his father... or his brother for that matter." Ishige replied with all honesty, however, his voice did not held any sound of displeasure at the mention of Takuya. "I will ultimately change my perception of him when he makes his choice. Whether it would be for the better or not will be dependent on his actions still."

"I suppose that that is one more reason why we should come back in one piece." Kouta said.

And Ishige could not agree more.

* * *

Valthoria sighed as he looked away from the Gates of Gaia after sending both Izumi and Takuya back to the hut and after talking with the older Orimoto. He could feel his powers wavering and his hold on everything that has been happening beginning to falter. He knew that time has caused him to grow weak and it is also with time that his enemy has been gaining strength. Because of that, he knew that they would all have to hurry.

A sad look was planted on his face as he took one final look at the Gates of Gaia – the same artifact that had caused so many troubles, griefs, and dangers to the world for as long as he could remember.

_"Do you all still believe that your choice was the right one, my friends?"_ He asked, whispering his question to the wind but knowing that no matter how hard he would try, he would never hear them answer. _"I am beginning to think that the choice I had made wasn't."_

And with that, Valthoria walked out of the room which he once again sealed with his power and went on his way back down to the hut. He knew that they no longer have time and he hoped that Takuya and Izumi had both rested enough...

_"After all, there is one final thing that I must teach them of."_

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**To be Continued...**

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**Post Author's Notes:**

Well, this isn't the longest chapter I have written but it's enough to close act as and ending to the two-part revelation chapter (this chapter and the previous one). Anyhow, like I've said, I won't be able to update next week thanks to our exams (yes, we have our preliminary exams next week whereas most of you are probably off enjoying your vacations we (over here) are only just starting a new term, lol) however, because of that I would (probably) be releasing a two chapters the week after next week not only for this fanfic but for the Chronicles of Time: Cyber World fanfic as well.

On another note, I have also went on ahead and put up a site where updates regarding the Development Team and other matters are discussed (it's the blog that I have mentioned in the above Author's Notes), the link to which could be found on my profile as I have updated the homepage link. Also there is a BBS that you guys can join in (just made that one a couple of days ago) so feel free to join. Those who want to be a part of the Development Team whether as a VA (Voice Actor/Actress), Spriter, Mapper, Scripter, or even Game Testers are also welcome to join in the said Forums (which link could be found in the blog).

That's about all for now. Until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Hope I see you guys hanging around in the VIS Forums and also, don't forget to review, ne? Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**

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	50. Wish and Sadness

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes:**

Woot! Long chapter coming at you!!

Here is the first of the two chapter releases for RotM that I would be doing for this week. I was about to upload this at the same time that I uploaded the newest chapter of CoT: CW but, my mom stopped me from using the computer for a while and so... the update had been delayed. Gomenasai.

Anyways... please try to read the Post Author's Notes after you are done reading the chapter as there are some things I want to say over there... lol.

Happy reading!

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Wish and Sadness**

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Takuya stood dumbfounded, Izumi was with him with the same stupefied look on her face. Everything that has happened and that was now happening in that island since they first arrived created a big question mark over their heads. What was happening now made that question mark even bigger.

"What's the meaning of this, Valthoria?" Izumi asked, a typical question at their current predicament.

"You wish to get out of this place, do you not?" Valthoria asked. "If you wish to return to the normal world then allow me to test the strength that you humans possess."

"With real weapons?" Takuya asked looking incredulously at the very real and very sharp sword that Valthoria had thrown towards him. "I don't think I would like to fight you, Valthoria... much more defeat and hurt you."

Valthoria laughed, he was highly amused. "Surely you jest, Takuya. Or is your confidence in your ability that strong for you to believe that you can hurt and defeat me."

"What does this have to do with going back to the outside world?" Izumi asked. She did not understand the logic of the old man who was ready to fight them. "What good would this battle do?"

Without any kind of warning whatsoever, Valthoria launched his attack at them. Slashing the sword he has at their direction. It took them a while to realize that Valthoria truly meant business, luckily enough for them, they managed to jump out of the way seconds before the attack hit the couple.

"Is it out of fear that you say those words or perhaps you thought that as an old man I would be incapable of fighting at the same level as both of you?" Valthoria spoke, there was still amusement in the tone of his voice but the look on his face held nothing but seriousness.

"You're not going to let up until we do what you want, am I right?" Takuya said, seeing as he and Izumi had no choice. He then looked at Izumi who looked back at him and nodded. "Very well then, get ready Valthoria because we won't be holding back!"

Both Takuya and Izumi jumped back, and so did Valthoria who said, "That is precisely what I want. For both of you NOT to hold back!"

* * *

Commander Ishige Orimoto looked at himself at the mirror. It had been such a long time since he actually wore his battle suit which was not as ornate as his Knight's Suit. It was the only thing he could wear now to battle, after all, he was no longer a Knight despite the fact that his men and those who believed in their cause still thought of him as a Commander of Eastern Corps.

He marveled at how well the suit was preserved. The chest plate was still silver in color with the Orimoto Family Crest engraved in the middle and a single jewel embedded on top of it. He wore a crimson-colored cape on his back with golden linings and the mark of the Organization in it.

Underneath the silver armor he wore a black-colored mythril shirt. His arm was protected by an armguard, the same could be said for his knee while he wore mythril leggings.

He stared at himself at the mirror. Never had he imagined that he would be wearing the same thing as he did during his last journey with Hiroaki and Shinya.

"Perhaps this is a fitting garment. One that I have worn when it all began and one that I will wear as I finish and put an end to this deranged fighting."

He then looked at the direction of his bed where the full helmet was lying and he shook his head thinking that he would rather not wear it this time around. And with one final look at the mirror and around his room, Ishige Orimoto left.

* * *

Kouta Kimura sighed. He could not help but think of how fast time flies as he looked at the sleeping figure of his two grandsons. He could remember the day when they learned that both of them possessed the power of a Chosen One, something that he had believed to be impossible until he learned that Kouichi received his powers from his father while it was Kouji who earned his powers from him. He had remembered being angry at Kousei for not telling him to he had married another family with a Chosen's blood. Of course, Kousei and his wife apologized for that and in the end he could not help being angry at them for too long, after all, he had finally had grandsons.

So many things had happened since that day. Painful things. Regrettable things. But despite that, he, Kouta Kimura, believed that what he was doing was the right thing.

However, this time, he was uncertain if the path that he would be walking on would be the right one. He and Ishige had not told anyone of what they plan to do – not Yuriko nor Ishige's daughter nor his grandsons. He knew that they would have to explain their actions someday however, the question was that if such a day would come when they would be able to explain everything to them.

"_I wonder,_" Kouta whispered softly making sure not to awaken Kouichi and Kouji. "_will we be able to come back and tell you all everything..._"

He wished that he and Ishige would be able to come back, however, deep inside his heart he could not help but feel that perhaps that is nothing more than a far-off wish.

With one final and loving look at the two, sleeping, young men, Kouta Kimura said his good-byes and exited the room.

* * *

"Are you sure you are willing to go through with this?" Kouta asked, hours after their departure.

"Isn't it a bit late to turn back now, Lord Kouta?" Ishige replied. "Besides, I cannot let you go through with this alone... perhaps, like you, the Dragon Gods may still have a mission for me yet... after all, they would have not allowed me to keep my ability as a Chosen One if my job as one is through."

"Is that the adventurous side of you talking?" Kouta could not help but laugh.

"Perhaps." Ishige replied. "Or perhaps it is the side which hopes to be able to end this war now than allow my daughter to fight for us."

The two men had been traversing in the cold of night, making their way on where they have learned Hiroaki Kanbara was staying. And such idle chat was the only thing the two men could think of to keep themselves awake.

It had been five days since Ishige received a letter of challenge from the older Kanbara, who, just like him, wanted to end the war already, though their reasons for wanting the war end differ greatly. Ishige had then spoken with Lord Kouta to tell him of the challenge believing that Yuriko does not need to know of it or to deal with it. It was then that Kouta decided to go with Ishige, and it was also at that time that Kouji suddenly entered into the room and overheard their conversation. Which then led to Kouji being highly against it.

Both men thought that they were lucky enough that Kouji didn't get to hear when they would be living, or Kouji would have resorted in telling Yuriko about what they have decided and thus putting an end to what they were planning to do – something that Kouta believed was the only way to deal with things now that it had escalated into such great hieghts.

"Lord Kouta, do you think that perhaps we should have left word of our departure?" Ishige asked after a couple of minutes of silence.

"Do you regret not being able to talk with Izumi?" was Kouta's reply.

Ishige nodded and said, "Yes. And I also regret not being able to spend more time with her..."

"You speak like you're going to die, Ishige." Kouta said, slowing down his horse to match the speed of Ishige's.

Silence was Ishige's answer, and so, Kouta said. "You need not worry about anything, my friend. I will not allow you to perish under the hands of Hiroaki. I promise you that you will see your daughter again and perhaps even act kind towards Takuya. You may even apologize to him."

"Apologize to Hiroaki's son?" Ishige said not daring to believe what he had just heard.

Kouta continued to speak, however, "You also made a promise to him, correct? You should keep that promise."

Kouta's words made Ishige think. His old friend was right, he still had some promises left to fulfill. He could not help but think how much he was already giving up on life and accepting death when the battle against Hiroaki had yet to begin.

Shaking all his doubts and worries, Ishige decided to talk about lighter subjects, the change, of which, Kouta gladly welcomed.

* * *

Hiroaki Kanbara, wearing a black armor with the red-colored seal of the Kingdom looked at himself with pride and dignity as he waited for his guest to arrive. He could not contain the anticipation as he thought how long this feud had been going on.

Today, he would be able to finally end it. And he will end it with the death of the person who was responsible for his demise – Ishige Orimoto.

"You have called for me, father?" The clone asked as he entered Hiroaki's tent, bowing as he faced him.

"Where have you been, Shinya?" Hiroaki asked. It was the first time that he had called the 'clone' by its true name. "Our guest is coming soon."

Shinya, surprised as he may be for hearing his father call him by his name rather than calling him by his brother's replied, "His majesty called for me. He needs me for something."

"Is it more important than this reunion of ours?" Hiroaki droned.

Shinya looked at his father with little emotion, as if being with him bas boring him, but still he replied, "Yes. It is for the sake of crushing the rebel Organization once and for all, father."

Hiroaki sighed, although he would love to have Shinya in the room with him as he welcomes Ishige, he knew better than to go stopping his son from fulfilling a commitment to either the Emperor or his royal highness, the prince.

"Very well then." Hiroaki said dismissing the young man.

Shinya bowed yet again and with a flash of light, vanished from the tent leaving Hiroaki by himself yet again, thinking of ways how to make his 'old friend' atone for his sins.

* * *

Trees began falling with every missed shot that Izumi made with the use of her power as a Chosen One. Their crashing sounds thundered through the island sending birds flying all over the place.

"How can he be so fast?!" Izumi wondered out loud as Valthoria managed to dodged her attacks for the thousandth time. "I can't even manage to hit him!"

It was not only because of his speed why Valthoria had yet to receive any of Izumi's attacks but also because of the fact that, as soon as Izumi had began charging another wind attack, he would go to Takuya and square off with him, making Izumi unable to fire her attack for fear of hitting the young man. This had caused Izumi to become aggravated at the situation.

"Don't loose focus, Izumi!" She heard Takuya say while he continued his sword lock with Valthoria.

"Indeed." Valthoria said as he then raised his hand and sent an attack flying at Izumi's direction while she was still in a stupor.

"Izumi, watch out!" Takuya shouted.

Izumi managed to pull herself together just in the nick of time, creating a barrier surrounding herself and saving herself from the attack.

"That was close..." she muttered. And once again she composed herself, remembering what Haruko had told her during their training. With her training in mind, she closed herself and began to mutter an incantation that Haruko had taught her, "_I soften my eyes. I relax my ears. I quiet my mind and allow the energy to permeate my very being... The spirits raise my skills to a higher plane and I awaken my true self._"

Takuya grinned at how fast Izumi managed to call that barrier of hers. When she saw that she was once again concentrating on the battle, he knew that it was time he did so as well. Up to know he had been trying to figure out if there was another reason why Valthoria started this battle that he realized he wasn't paying much attention. He believed that Izumi was thinking of the battle as well. Well, now was the time to be serious, for real.

Valthoria could sense it. He could sense it very well. They have finally put their thoughts aside. He never told them, but through their journey, as they were Chosen Ones, he was connected to them and as thus was able to see and somewhat experience the same things that they had experienced. Because of this, he had noted several of their weaknesses. One of which was their concentration and focus at the 'now'.

"_Everytime that they enter a battle, they think_." Valthoria thought to himself as he matched Takuya's attack blow for blow. "_They keep on thinking of things that should not concern them, loosing focus on what is happening before them. They must learn to use their instincts in battle... They have so many thoughts clouding their minds all the time. They must learn to put them aside while in battle... I suppose that that lesson, has been learned._"

Valthoria smiled inwardly, but managed to keep his face straight as if occupied in battle. After all, that was not the only thing he wanted to teach them.

One sword swipe from Takuya almost caught him off guard but Valthoria managed to jump out of the way. Just as he landed on the ground, another attack was sent towards him. It was too fast that he was unable to move out of the way and instead resulting in him using his weapon to block most of Izumi's attack.

"I hit him!" Izumi said as smoke enveloped the place where Valthoria was hit by her attack.

"Great job, Izumi!" Shouted Takuya who then added, "Don't let up yet. It's not yet over."

Izumi nodded. There was no way, after all, that Valthoria would be defeated so easily.

"Bravo." Valthoria said as the smoke cleared and he was revealed to the two Chosen Ones with bruises from the attack, but not so much as compared to Takuya and Izumi. "That was very well coordinated."

"There's more where that came from." Takuya said, feeling confident that he could make Valthoria be awed by what he and Izumi could accomplish together.

"I do hope so," Valthoria replied, dusting himself. "because that alone would not make you victorious in this battle." then Valthoria thought to himself and added, "_...nor in the battles that would soon come._"

And so, once again, the battle continued on...

* * *

"And so we meet again, my old friend." Hiroaki said he stood face to face with Ishige atop a cliff with the sun dawning over a new day.

Ishige replied him with nothing more than silence. His face held sadness as he looked at the friend he once knew. Hiroaki Kanbara had greatly changed in appearance ever since they last met at the Lone Island. Gone were any signs of resemblance of the Hiroaki that he knew. The man that stood before him, wearing a dark armor with spikes on the shoulder pad, did not even resemble his younger son whom many had noted greatly mirrors him. He was, as Ishige had thought, only a shadow of his former self... Even his voice had changed so much that he sounded like he was gurgling rather than talking.

"Too afraid to speak, I see..." Hiroaki gloated. "You can feel it too, can you not? The power that I received from his majesty."

"The power you received in exchange for your soul, Hiroaki? If that is what strength is, then I remain to wish weak in your eyes than turn into a monster who would care nothing for his friends or for his sons." Ishige said. "I had thought you better than to ultimately sell your soul to the devil... and even to allow the release of Luca and allow him to possess the King, Seraphim."

"Do not lecture me about friends or family, Ishige." Hiroaki bellowed, quite angry. "You know nothing about friendship and certainly nothing about families placing your daughter's life in jeopardy just so you can acquire the information you needed to turn the affairs of the kingdom into your favor."

"I admit that was poor judgment on my part, and I have apologized to my daughter for that." Ishige admitted, there was sadness in his voice as he conversed with his friend. "However, I do not forget that which is important, something that you have done just to gain power. Did you not say that you were doing all of this to bring Shinya back? You have managed to do just that, have you not?"

"How... did you know about Shinya's current condition?" Hiroaki demanded to know.

Ishige chose not to answer but instead of further opening up the subject, he just laughed – a laugh that was as icy as the look he was giving Ishige. And without any admonitions, he unsheathed his twin blades and immediately attacked.

With the same speed that could rival his old friend, Ishige drew his sword and blocked Hiroaki's attack.

* * *

Takuya panted as he was beginning to grow tired having been fighting against Valthoria for a long time. Through the course of the battle, Takuya acknowledged how precise Valthoria's fighting techniques were and how flawless he battled. It was as if every movement he and his opponent were going to do were already planned out by him. Takuya could not help but question if that was really the case – if Valthoria had already planned the whole battle out, from start to finish.

"_That can't be right,_" Thought Takuya as he decided to try and attack Valthoria using his power as a Chosen One. "_he hadn't seen us fight before. How can he even know what we're about to do?_"

Takuya then hurled a large fireball at Valthoria's direction. Valthoria saw this coming and quickly disappeared leaving Takuya to wonder where he went.

Just then, Izumi called out, "Takuya, behind you!"

But it was already too late as he was thrown back by Valthoria, who attacked him. Valthoria then turned to face Izumi.

"That was surprising for you to see where I was heading." Valthoria said, though his voice held no surprise whatsoever.

"It's not so hard to read your movements now." Izumi replied as she remained cautious for any sudden attacks that Valthoria may throw at her.

"Apparently it still is for him." Valthoria said as he pointed towards the direction where Takuya was standing up. Then he told Takuya, "If you keep this up, you would certainly die."

"I don't understand..." Izumi wondered loud enough for Valthoria to hear. "He was much faster before back at the Lone Islands."

Valthoria, who obviously heard what Izumi had said, already knew the reason why in his past battles Takuya had proved to be much stronger than he is now. He knew that it was not because of his powers slowly leaving his body, but rather because of something else entirely.

"_Although the source of his strength is not bad, he must learn to draw out his strength naturally rather than waiting for something to happen to his beloved Izumi._" Thought Valthoria. He then looked towards the sky, and although the sky at the island never changes to him, he could see that time was already running out. "_I have to finish this before it's too late._"

And so, even while Takuya was still not ready and composed to continue the battle, Valthoria decided to continue attacking him.

"_If you cannot still draw out your full power naturally, then I will just have to beat you until you can._" Was Valthoria's reason for his action.

Seeing that Takuya was in a pinch, Izumi was about to help out when she realized that she had been locked out of the battle. It was then that he heard Valthoria's voice in her head.

"I am afraid I cannot let you interfere for now, my dear." Valthoria said.

"Stop it. Please." She begged as she watched Takuya being pummeled by Valthoria's attacks which seemed to be coming from all sorts of directions. "Please, don't hurt him anymore."

"I am sorry, Izumi." Valthoria said. "But this has to be done. It is... for his own good."

"How so?" Izumi asked as she tried to get pass the barrier that Valthoria had created but failing to do so.

"Just trust this old man." Was all Valthoria said before his voice vanished in her head.

Takuya did not know what he was going to do. He could not read from where Valthoria was attacking nor how the old man was able to do it. After all, even if he is the Lord of the Dragon Gods, he is still inhabiting an old man's body. But one thing was for certain, he had to get out of his attack range.

Just then, Takuya saw an opening. His chance to get away from all the attacks that were simultaneously coming at him. Without thinking twice, he took the opportunity and managed to free himself from Valthoria's web of attacks.

"That was a bit too much, Valthoria!" Takuya managed to say when he finally got room to breathe and Valthoria momentarily stopped his attacks. "Are you trying to kill me or something."

Valthoria shrugged and said, "Who knows. I think it's you who wishes to be killed. I can hardly believe that you managed to survive your brother's fury onboard the ship to Shore with that. Either you got lucky or your brother isn't as strong as I have feared him to be."

Takuya gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. "Are you saying that I am weak?!"

"Isn't it obvious." Valthoria replied, "Perhaps my deduction was wrong and it was actually Flayhme who was making you strong. As for you, you do not have any power on your own."

"Valthoria, please. Can't we stop this now?" Izumi asked. Takuya apparently not yet noticing that Izumi could not help him in this battle.

"No." Valthoria replied sternly which surprised the two. Then catching himself, Valthoria switched back to his calm self. "There is no stopping now."

Izumi could not help but notice that there was something different about Valthoria while Takuya also could not help but notice how much Valthoria was giving in this battle.

"What's this really about, Valthoria?" Takuya finally asked. "It's hard to imagine that this is all just for the sake of showing you what we can do."

"That is something that you would only know when you manage to surpass my strength." Valthoria said. "Now come, Takuya. Prove me wrong. Prove that you indeed have a power that resides only in yourself."

Takuya, although confused as to what the battle was all about now, could only nod. He fully realized that Valthoria means what he says and the only way to learn what his real intentions are is for him to defeat the Lord of the Dragon Gods.

* * *

Ishige could not believe just how strong Hiroaki had gotten. So strong that he could barely keep up with him.

"_But I have to," _Ishige thought as he wiped the blood trickling down his lips from the powerful impact it had with Hiroaki's fist. _ "at least, until Lord Kouta is finished with his preparations."_

"You really are naive, Ishige." Hiroaki said as he looked at his prey. Anticipation building. "To have come here when you fully know that what awaits you in this battle is death."

Ishige kept his quiet as he calmed himself down. He had always believed that fighting with a calm mind and a clear head is a sure fire way to win any battles. And this one was no exception. Hiroaki, however, saw his stance as a way to prolong the battle which he so wanted to end. And so, like before, he launched another quick attack at Ishige, however, to his surprise, Ishige was awaiting him this time around.

Raising his left hand to meet with the enemy, Ishige allowed Hiroaki to see a secret that he had kept for so long. In his palm materialized a compressed ball of wind, swirling about. It's aura was golden in color and it held such a powerful gust that when it hit Hiroaki it sent him almost toppling over the cliff.

"What...what was that?!" It came more than a demand for Ishige to explain rather than a dumbfounded question. "How can you still wield that power!? How did you manage to regain your power without making a pact with his highness, King Luca?"

"I don't need to make a pact with anyone in order to use this." Ishige said. It was time for him to counter-attack. "I never lost my power to begin with!"

And with that, Ishige conjured another ball of wind, this time much bigger and stronger than the last. With a battle cry he charged forward, sword in one hand and his elemental attack on the other.

"You won't fool me twice with that same attack!" Hiroaki bellowed as he too charged forward to meet Ishige head on.

However, it seems that Ishige was also anticipating this move for the moment that Hiroaki dashed to meet him, he pressed the ball of wind into his sword. The wind then formed a coating around the Commander of the East's weapon surrounding it with a golden aura of wind. After which, Ishige switched his footing so that Hiroaki ended up passing him and his attack missing him before Ishige countered with his own weapon and managing to wound his adversary.

While Hiroaki was thunderstruck, Ishige took this opportunity to look and see if the General was finished with his preparations. And sure enough, the General had given him the signal. It was time to put their plan into action.

"How can it be possible." Hiroaki said as he staggered up. "We all lost our powers when we bore children to take over our work for us. How can it be that you still have yours?"

"There is no need for you to know, Hiroaki." Ishige replied. His face showed no hints of bitterness towards his friend for it appears that upon seeing the state that the Dragon God of Darkness and Luca had placed Hiroaki in, he could no longer hold any anger towards him. Instead his face was that filled with what he believed to be his duty. "You are right about one thing... this battle ends now."

And with that, Ishige once again conjured the golden ball of wind and merged it into his sword. Hiroaki then stood up. He will not allow Ishige to win this battle. However, instead of doing what he had expected Ishige to do, Ishige did no. Instead of rushing towards him, Ishige simply raised the sword up in the air then plunged it into the ground.

The moment that he did, golden patterns started appearing on the ground as if the sword was painting them. Looking at Ishige, Hiroaki saw that he was now backing down leaving the sword. It was then that he heard another voice, mumbling some sort of incantations. He tried to whirl around to see who it was but found that he could not do so.

"What do you think you're doing to me!?" bellowed Hiroaki. An invisible chain holding him in place.

"Doing what we should have done many years ago." Replied Ishige.

* * *

Izumi's mouth was agape, tears welling in her eyes. Her knees could no longer hold her up and ended up falling to the ground. Her mind swirling with all kinds of thoughts most of which was disbelief at the scene which was unfolding before her eyes.

There, several feet away from her, stood Takuya pierced by Valthoria's sword.

"W-wha-what....what is this?" Takuya manage to get the words out of his mouth as he looked at his hands and saw that there was blood – blood from the wound. He was bleedinng profusely.

Valthoria remained quiet his hand still holding the sword while it remained dug into Takuya's left chest. His face showing no emotions his eyes not hinting any thoughts.

"TAKUYA!!" Shouted Izumi as she pounded the invisible barrier. "Takuya!"

Takuya fell to the ground, shaking. "W-why...?"

Valthoria remained quiet though his eyes lingered on Takuya as if waiting for something to happen. For Takuya, the gaze seemed cold and distant.

"I suppose... this is all you are capable of." Valthoria said after a while. "Think of it this way. If you die here, then you would not need to worry about making a decision for the world's future."

The voice seemed cold and harsh. Izumi also noted that as well as Takuya. Takuya did not want to believe that Valthoria would do this to him... and to Izumi as well. But deep inside the recesses of his mind, he wondered if this was really all he was capable of.

He wondered if Valthoria was not holding back, and if he was then wouldn't that mean that he really would not stand a chance against his brother, his father as well as all the enemies that they may meet along the way.

"This can't be right..." Takuya muttered as breathing became a laborious task. "I can't fall here... and in-front of Izumi too..."

"You're still thinking of what others think of you even at such a state." Valthoria snorted. "You are gullible."

Takuya hated it. He hated the way that Valthoria was speaking to him now. He gritted his teeth both in anger and in the pain he was feeling. He didn't want to lose. He didn't want his promises to go unfulfilled. He didn't want this to be his end. All kinds of thoughts swirled in his head. But there was one thought that filled him up. One thought that occupied his mind more than the others. He didn't want to die.

"It won't take long now for you to die." Valthoria said, this time, his voice was louder as he took the sword out of Takuya's body. "So just lie there and die. This battle is over."

And with that, Valthoria turned around and began to walk away. Izumi glared at the old man, wanting to see the look on his face. However, there was no hint of satisfaction, no aura of murderous intent. There was simply, nothing there.

Valthoria had only taken a couple of steps away from Takuya when Izumi, who had turned her attention back at the young man gasped. Valthoria, although hearing the gasp did not turn around but continued on walking.

Izumi saw Takuya, forcing himself to stand up. His face hidden as his head was bent down. When Takuya had managed to pull himself up, holding the open wound with his right hand, he said, "This... battle... isn't... over...!"

Valthoria stopped on his tracks but did not turn around.

"Don't... look... down... on me." Takuya continued to say. "And don't... turn... your back... on your enemy... not before... the battle is truly... over! Do you hear me... Valthoria!"

Valthoria smiled while his back was still turned. Yes, this was what he was waiting for. However, the moment he turned around, his smile had vanished. Instead, he looked at Takuya with the intent of finishing the battle.

"No, Takuya. Please, stop. You don't have to do this any more." Izumi said, she was crying now. "I'll heal you as soon as this barrier is down. Just please, don't fight him any more. You can't risk it..."

"No!" Takuya said as he took his sword and gripped it with more conviction than before. His head was pounding and the wound was still bleeding. All he could do at the moment was just stand but even so...

"What do you think you can do?" Valthoria asked as if taunting the young man. "It is already a chore for you to breathe much less stand up. That's all you are capable of doing now. There is no way for you to turn this battle around. You are... as good as dead."

Takuya sticked his sword to the ground and used it to keep himself balanced. Taking a deep breath and wincing along the way he said, "I wont... I wont die!"

And with that, he looked Valthoria straight in the eye, took his sword out of the ground and let out a loud battle cry.

The moment that he did so, the earth began to shake and a powerful force erupted from him that almost pushed Valthoria back. His eyes, both Valthoria and Izumi noted, were filled with burning determination – a determination that Izumi had not seen in a very, very long time.

His body was then filled by a red, glowing aura. Not only his body, but Takuya's hair was also seemingly changing color. Izumi could easily feel it, a feeling that she had not felt since the invasion of the monsters in Shore just before Flayhme vanished. She then turned to look at Valthoria wondering what the old Lord of the Dragon Gods was thinking, he did not seem to falter at all even with how Takuya was like now.

Takuya, himself, did not know that he was changing physically. He just felt that he has more power and that the pain of having been stabbed was ebbing away. With his new-found strength, Takuya felt that this time, it would truly be a fair fight.

_"Now, let's see what this power of yours is capable of, Takuya Kanbara." _Valthoria thought as he held his weapon in front of him, ready to battle it out once again.

"I will make you recognize my power!" Said Takuya before he rushed into battle. His wound left forgotten.

The moment that their swords clashed and sparks flew, Valthoria at once learned of how strong Takuya had become. It was taking a lot out of him just to keep his sword locked with his in battle.

"_Amazing." _Thought Valthoria, keeping himself composed despite the new found resistance in Takuya. "_Though I have a vague idea of what made him stronger this time, I still can't believe the amount of power he can release. This is truly amazing since he is, after all, not a Chosen One._"

At last Takuya managed to hold his footing and push Valthoria back. Hoping to get a good swipe at him, Takuya used his sword to slash down on the old man but despite having grown in power, he was still unable to hit him dead on as Valthoria managed to get away and only got a little scratch from the attack.

Valthoria was surprised at this, however, he did not show it in his face as he merely looked at the little woud inflicted by Takuya.

"That may just be a scratched, but now I know that I can defeat you. Even if it takes a million scratches, I won't give up!" Shouted Takuya, his voice had also changed thanks to the effects of the power surge in his body.

Upon hearing what Takuya had said, Valthoria could not help but laugh out loud. It wasn't the menacing, maniacal laugh that one would hear from crazed foes bent on world domination or destruction, but rather a laugh that held fondness and amusement at what he had just heard. At that point, the barrier that he had placed had began to lapse until finally it dissipated – something that surprised Izumi to the point that she almost fell down while trying to pound on the barrier.

"That is enough." Valthoria spoke, his voice cracking as he did so. "You can rest now, Takuya and you as well, Izumi. You have both done well."

It seems that those words came as a surprise to Takuya as he reverted back to his wounded state and fell down on the ground with a loud thud, exhausted from the battle and still bleeding. It was then that Izumi ran to him and began healing him straight away pouring all her concentration at the tasked at hand.

Valthoria then moved towards them, and placed a hand on Takuya's wound. Letting what remains of his power flow freely, he helped Izumi in healing the young man.

As they were doing so, Valthoria said. "I believed I have thought you both all that you need to know to survive what lies before you once you cross over to the other side of the barrier."

"What are you talking about?" Takuya asked in between breaths.

Izumi, however, seemed to have understood what that battle was all about and said, "So that's what this battle was all about... to teach us?"

"Yes, as well as to remind both of you of your weaknesses." Valthoria said. As he spoke, Izumi could note a hint of flagging in his voice. "Izumi, you are quick to lose your concentration in battle especially when you see your friends in danger. You should be careful of that and not let your thoughts wander of. It is alright to worry about them, however, if you worry too much about others you might forget about yourself."

Izumi nodded and Valthoria went on. "You also need to speed up your casting and to learn how to heal and fight at the same time. That skill will come in handy in battles to come as your enemies would not be as lenient as I was with you now. They will take every opportunity to fell their foes. As such, you may become their primary target, especially if they are after Takuya. For that, you must also learn to maintain a barrier around you and keep it surrounding you for as long as you can without depleting your energy far too much."

"Is that even possible, Lord Valthoria?" Izumi asked.

Valthoria nodded. "Haruko taught you how to utilize the natural energy surrounding you and the physical and spiritual energy within you, am I wrong? Use what you have learned from her and you will find a way to do that which I have advised you."

Another nod was Izumi's reply. Then Valthoria faced the young man lying before them, his breathing had stabilized and his wounds were already closing. He then said, "Takuya, you tend to rush at your enemy without thinking or without first conjuring up a plan or weighing down your options as you do. You think too much on your companions that you forget to view your surroundings and to watch your enemies closely so as to see what their next move would be. You also think too much on the reason why you are fighting, you should stop doing that as much as you can for it may cost you your life in the end."

Takuya nodded, he was too tired to talk for the moment, only allowing the healing energy to flow through him and heal him. Seeing Takuya's response, Valthoria went on. "You are also too quick to anger that you lose concentration on the battle at hand. You should learn not to lose your composure when an enemy taunts you. If you keep a cool and level-head, then you can turn his taunts against him and he will be the one frustrated enough to make a deadly mistake in battle. Learn to control your emotions."

"You didn't have to go that far to get Takuya to learn these things." Izumi said as Takuya's wound finally closed and the bleeding stopped.

"Ah, but you see, that is another thing that I have to let Takuya know about." Valthoria replied. Upon hearing this, Takuya opened his eyes and looked at the old man.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"I have watched you and your friends through most of your journey as Chosen Ones. For that, I know how you fight and how strong you can be." Valthoria explained himself as he allowed himself to sit down, his eyes were closed showing that he was indeed tired. "The way you fought earlier in the battle was not half the strength you show whenever you find yourself or your friends in a pinch. It seems that your strength is drawn out whenever they are in trouble or whenever you, yourself are in trouble. To change that, you must enter a, shall we say, state of shock. And what better way to enter that phase than to experience what it is to be dying."

"I don't understand... how can that help?" Takuya asked.

"Did you not feel anything when the thought of death came rushing at you? When you felt that you have lost and are facing death's door?" Valthoria asked. He allowed Takuya to think for a while, and after a short pause Takuya looked at Valthoria. He had seemingly found the answer to his question.

And so, he relayed what he was feeling and his thoughts of that time to them.

"I felt... scared of dying." Takuya said, feeling quite ashamed of admitting that something scares him, especially in front of the girl that he loves. "All I could think about when you kept telling me that I will die was that I didn't want to die. I didn't want to end up dead here... or end up dead anytime soon. I have so many things I want to do, so many promises that I want to fulfill. All I could think about was how much I have taken my everyday life for granted and how much I became too over confident in my abilities. All I could think about at that moment was that... I want to live."

"There is nothing to be ashamed of in admitting that you fear death." Valthoria said, a smile was plastered on his face. It was the kind of smile that one would find in a face of a father who had seen his son doing something that he could be proud of. "Only a fool would hide that he fears death. Your desire to live is what allowed you to use your untapped potential. In the past, you are only able to do so whenever Izumi or your friends are in trouble. I had to make you see that you can use it whenever you want. You actually need not to go through being beaten to a pulp to awaken it."

Takuya and Izumi both listened carefully to what Valthoria was saying as his voice began to sound weaker and weaker with each passing phrase.

"Hold that feeling of wanting to live close in your heart and remember that feeling whenever you want to use your own power." Valthoria said, he was now beginning to turn pale and Izumi and Takuya quickly noticed it and began to grow worried.

"Valthoria? Are you alright? You don't look so good." Takuya said at which Izumi also observed.

"This is only natural. After all, my time is almost up." Valthoria said.

"What are you saying? What do you mean your time is almost up?" Izumi asked, dread was creeping in her heart. She feared what Valthoria had to say.

"I am old and weary." Was all Valthoria could say, his words now coming out as whispers. "This is what you get for forcing yourself to live for so long... a mortal's body truly is troublesome."

"Mortal's body?" Takuya asked and it was then that he realized... "You... you also gave up your powers then?"

Valthoria nodded.

"Then you lied to us. You told us that only the other Dragon Gods gave up their immortality and you remained as an immortal." Takuya said.

"I did not lie. You merely assumed it because of how I said it." Valthoria said, still with a smile on his face as he began to fade.

"You can't die on us, Valthoria." Izumi said, she was now trying to hold back tears. Even if they have only just met the old man, it felt as if they have known him for a much longer time. "How are we supposed to know what we should do? How are we supposed to triumph against the Dragon God of Darkness and the King, Luca?"

"You don't need me for that, my dear." Valthoria said. "You and your friends have gone this far without my knowledge, and now that I have imparted my knowledge to you, be confident that you can make a difference now.... no matter how small that difference may turn out to be. Besides, we Dragon Gods, despite choosing to become mortals will still return to Avalon when we go from this world. It will not be so bad..."

"But--!" Izumi was about to argue but Takuya stopped her.

"Be happy for me, my dear friends." Valthoria said, he was now practically transparent. "I will finally be with my kin where I truly belong. Those long years of waiting has finally come to an end. Finally, the time that has stopped will begin to move. The path has now been opened, now you must choose how you will travel through it."

"Valthoria..."

Before Valthoria vanished completely, he smiled at the two and said his last words: "Remember, you humans are capable of so much when you do not take life for granted. Even when the odds are stacked against you, as long as you believe that there is a chance, you have to pursue it... Remember..."

And with a blink of an eye Valthoria was gone and all that Takuya and Izumi could do was shed a tear for the fallen Dragon Lord...

* * *

"Aarghhh!"

Hiroaki's voice echoed through the cliff. The seal was eating away the power that was given to him by the Dragon God of Darkness as Ishige and Kouta continued on their ritual of purifying Hiroaki's body and separating it from the hold of the evil dragon and the king.

"Just a little bit more, Ishige." Kouta called out and Ishige nodded.

"I... won't..." Hiroaki growled, fighting with all that he has to free himself from their hold. "I.. won't... surrender....!"

Sweat trickled down Kouta's face as he continued his best to keep his concentration – a must when doing the ritual. It was his power, after all, that was being used while Ishige was merely channeling it and transferring it to Hiroaki with the use of his sword and the patterns that were made while he was fighting against Hiroaki.

He, Kouta Kimura, was almost at the end of his limit.

"I have to end this soon." Kouta thought. "Otherwise, all my spiritual energy will be depleted and I may need to result into allowing the technique to eat through my physical energy... if that would be the case the I..."

"Aaarghh!!!"

Just then, the ground began to shake, and the sky darkened. This alarmed both the General and Commander Orimoto. Just when they both looked at Hiroaki, they saw his eyes glow crimson in color and what's more, they noticed that he was slowly being able to move.

"Lord Kouta, what's going on?" Ishige asked. "How can he move? The seal should be preventing him from doing any kind of movement!"

Lord Kouta could very well see what Ishige meant. And what was happening now could only mean one thing – Hiroaki Kanbara was no more.

"I am afraid that we have failed miserably, Ishige." Kouta said in between breaths for he was still forcing the seal on Hiroaki who had completely lost himself to the darkness.

"What do you mean?" Ishige asked.

"Hiroaki is no more." Kouta replied, then began to explain as briefly as he could. "It would appear that he had finally sold every bit of his being to the Dragon God of Darkness. We have failed."

"That can't be..." whispered Ishige.

Just then Hiroaki spoke but his voice was no longer a gurgle nor was it similar to his voice of long ago. It was more menacing, deep and dark. "Oh yes..."

"Hiroaki..." Ishige trailed. True enough it was no longer Hiroaki whom they were facing. "I am sorry..." Then he faced Lord Kouta and said, "Lord Kouta, we have to flee now while the seal is still holding him down."

Lord Kouta Kimura was now sweating profusely. "I am afraid, that I can not flee with you."

"What are you saying?"

"If I leave this place, he will be free and neither of us will be able to escape his wrath. This is no longer Hiroaki but the Dragon God of Darkness himself. Both you and I will not be any match against it." Kouta spoke, knowing full well what would happen when their foe managed to escape its temporary prison. "YOU must flee now, Ishige. Tell the others and prepare for the battle that is to come."

"No!" Ishige refused. "I cannot abandon you here. I don't think I can forgive myself should another one of my friends fall while I remain alive."

Kouta smiled, but only for a short while as he still continued to battle it out with the Dragon God's will. "You have always been a kind, young man, Ishige. You need not worry about me. I have lived a fulfilled life. This is the only way I can atone for my sins of the past. I have done everything I can."

"Lord Kouta..."

"You still have a long life ahead of you to live. You have your daughter as well." Kouta went on. "You are not living me behind, Ishige if you go, rather you will be granting my final wish. Allow me to at least risk my life for a friend and for a worthy cause."

"Master Kouta..." Ishige said, his heart was breaking. Thoughts of the past raced through his head. "If that is what you truly wish then..."

Kouta nodded and whispered a word of gratitude to the man whom he had seen grow. The man whom he had trained, led and befriended. The man whom Kousei has thought of as a brother and whom he had thought of as his own son.

With watery eyes and with one final look at his old friend and mentor, Ishige used his power to flee the place as fast as he could and as far away as he could.

"That was a foolish move, old man." Growled the man that was once Hiroaki Kanbara.

"I believe it not to be foolish." Kouta said. And then he whispered his thoughts to Ishige knowing that the Commander of the East will be able to hear it. "Ishige, I now entrust everything to you. Farewell, my old friend."

* * *

Tears welled up in his eyes as he flew with such a speed that he never knew he could muster away from the place. Seconds after he left, a powerful explosion occurred at the spot where the Dragon God of Darkness and Kouta was, and at once, Ishige knew that his master was no more.

"I promise, Master..." Ishige thought trying to fight the urge to cry. "I will not give up. I will help bring about the world that you had envisioned with his majesty, Lord Seraphim, long, long ago..."

* * *

**To be continued...**

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**Post Author's Notes:**

This is perhaps, one of the saddest chapters that I have written for RotM. It was really hard writing this chapter since I really wanted to keep both characters alive. However, the story needs them to end up in the way that they ended up in this chapter (hey, does that sentence make sense to you guys? Lol).

Anyways, like I've said I will be updating both fanfics weekly. One update per week, every friday at around 8 in the evening (though there will be times when I will be late in updating since I have school and a part-time job). However, for this week, we have two chapter updates this being the first one and the other one would be released on Friday at the above time.

Now, to those who want to join the forum just type h**.cc. There's no triple w there. Just the hypertext transfer protocol followed by vanguardstudios dot co dot cc. Feel free to register. My blog, where I post news and updates about the projects and the fanfics that I am working on however, can be found in sakuramartineznoyuutsu dot co dot cc. No triple w as well with that address.

Also, I would like to take this opportunity to thank **burgekev000, Sightbent, Gehktus Yht Kq Yht Tekesuh, and Gold Dragon34** for reviewing the last chapter as well as everyone else who has been supporting this fanfic. Please keep on reviewing as I want to know your opinion and views on the story and also to know who are actually enjoying reading what I am writing plus whatever you guys have to say. It's always fun to hear from friends, after all.

Anyways, hope you guys keep on reading this fanfic and send your reviews as well, okay?

Until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out. Take care, everyone! Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**

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	51. Guilt, Duty, and

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes:**

Well, it's Friday, and as promised here is another chapter for this fanfic.

Be forewarned though, this chapter is short but it is full of well, interesting things. Don't want to spoil everyone by enumerating what those are.

Anyways, as much as I don't want to place any spoilers here, I do not wish to make you guys wait any longer. So, happy reading! Hope you guys like this.

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Guilt, Duty, and...**

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Kouji panted as he shot awake, feeling a sudden pain in his chest as if crushing him. Sweat had formed in his brows and his body. For him it felt like he had just woken up from a horrid nightmare. He was shaking and he didn't even know why.

The sun had only begun to rise painting the sky in a mixture of violet, red and orange. This was the first time Kouji had woken up like he did and in his heart he felt something was wrong but he did not know what it was. He thought about speaking with his Spirit Guardian but decided against it as he remembered how Lumen, his Spirit Guardian, had scolded him for waking him up for nothing.

He had tried to fall back to sleep but when after several attempts he failed to do so, he simply sat up and decided to walk around the small house in the Fort Town of Deo where they have situated their small albeit cozy base.

Standing up and scanning the room, he saw Kouichi sleepy peacefully in his side of the room. After walking as silently as he could so as to not to wake his twin brother, Kouji silently slid the door open and went out of the room, closing the door as gently as possible as he knew how easily Kouichi could wake up and he did not want to see him like this.

He didn't really know where he should be going to try and calm his still frantically beating heart, and so, he decided to just let his feet carry him wherever it may decide to go. That had always helped him calm down during those days when he was still the Vice Commander of the East serving under Lord Ishige Orimoto, Commander of the Knight's Eastern Corps. Now, however, he is Lord Kouji Minamoto, Light's Chosen One – a big title, his responsibility he is still unsure of.

He soon found himself in the small orchard situated at the back of the house. There really wasn't anything worth noting in the said orchard for it was as simple as one could imagine it to be. Kouji was about to sit down on one of the concrete benches there when all of a sudden Lord Ishige Orimoto came crashing down surprising the heck out of Kouji.

"L-Lord Ishige!?" Kouji said surprised. Then, he ran towards the man whom he still views as his superior and asked, "Lord Ishige, are you alright? What happened?"

"I guess I forgot how to do the landing well." Ishige managed to say, pain etched on his face as he spoke.

"Landing? What are you talking about, sir?" Then, he realized that Lord Orimoto was pretty badly injured and so, mustering all the strength he could get from his body, Kouji then lifted Commander Orimoto off the ground and helped him walk to where the infirmary was located saying, "Hold on sir, I'll take you to the infirmary."

All Ishige Orimoto could say before he passed out was a word of thanks to the young man.

Everyone was pretty worried when word spread of Lord Orimoto being taken to the infirmary. What's more, when everyone could not find the General Kimura, their worry even grew a thousand fold. No one perhaps in that house, was more worried of the Commander and General than Kouji, Kouichi and Yuriko, the Leader of the Organization.

"Have they searched through the whole perimeter of the city?" Yuriko asked Kouichi when the young man entered the room where Ishige Orimoto had been placed under watch to report.

Kouichi nodded, he was worried for his Grandfather's sake. "Yes, and still there is no sign of Grandfather or of any members of the Empire's army... or even any kind of struggle that can give us a hint as to what happened to him."

"Even in the above floors, there were no sign of struggle that can point out who tried to push Lord Orimoto, as well." Kouji said, looking at the man who was still knocked out cold.

"That's because he wasn't pushed, Kouji." Yuriko said. "Lord Ishige is not that weak to allow someone to push him off a building. What's more, he could easily survive a fall without a scratch."

The words of the Leader surprised the two young man with her at the room.

"What do you mean?" Kouji asked. "How can you say that?"

"He's Izumi's father. Head of the Orimoto house." Was Yuriko's reply which did not help ease the confusion in Kouji's mind. Then the Leader assured her that they should focus their attention on finding the General instead as the Commander was practically safe from any imminent danger. "He's stronger than he looks. If Izumi was here I believe she could testify to this."

"But--!" Kouji was about to argue.

"General Kouta Kimura is also your Grandfather, Kouji." Yuriko said, her voice telling them that she had had enough of the discussion revolving around the Commander. "You should be more worried of him than of the Commander."

Kouji had learned that it was better to listen to the Leader for she knew a lot of things that they did not know about, and so, he apologized and then went to help Kouichi search for their still missing Grandfather, not knowing that they were never to find the old man in the city again.

Once she was alone in the room with her old friend, Yuriko let out a tired sigh.

"I should have figured out that you would do something reckless, Ishige." Yuriko said after a while as she sat down on the chair watching over the unconscious man. "You should have said something... I could have helped you..."

"What could have you done to help us then, Yuriko?" Ishige replied, his voice musky as he slowly opened his eyes. "It wouldn't have made any difference..."

"Ishige, you're alright!" Exclaimed Yuriko as she ran to her friend's bedside.

"I wish I could say the same thing." The Commander said, his eyes filled with sadness and despair. "I'm sorry to have made you and everyone worry about me yet again."

Yuriko shook her head. "I've grown accustomed to that since we were young whenever you and Hiroaki would venture off doing those dangerous dares that the other kids would be placing on you two."

Ishige let out a soft laugh before the light in his eyes vanished yet again and sadness took over. "I'm sorry... I couldn't do anything to stop Hiroaki..."

"What... happened?" Yuriko asked. She felt that she would not like what Ishige was about to say, and yet, at the same time, she feels like she has to know. After all, it was her husband they were talking about.

Ishige closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After which, he told Yuriko everything that has happened. From receiving the letter of challenge from Hiroaki to discussing his plans with General Kimura. From their journey to the meeting place up to meeting face to face with Hiroaki where in Ishige also mentioned how different Hiroaki now looked earning a sad look from Yuriko.

Ishige then went on to tell her about the battle and the conclusion of which he lost his best friend to the Dragon God of Darkness and also lost his mentor who chose to stay behind and sacrifice himself in order to protect his student and friend.

When Ishige was finished with his tale, he was crying and so was Yuriko and he kept on saying how sorry he was.

"If only I was stronger still... this wouldn't have happened." Ishige said, tears falling down his face. It had been a while since he last cried but he didn't feel ashamed of crying right now. "I was powerless to save my friend and my powerlessness is what get Lord Kouta killed..."

"It isn't your fault, Ishige." Yuriko said as she hugged him. "You did everything you could. You shouldn't beat yourself up. Lord Kouta decided to give up his life in order to save you and I don't think he did it so that you can blame yourself for his death and for Hiroaki's deminse. He did it because he has faith in you and in what you can still accomplish. You must not let his sacrifice be in vain."

"I'm... so sorry." Ishige apologized yet again. "I'm very, very sorry for everything...."

* * *

The ground shook with the force of the explosion despite the fact that it was pretty far from where they were. But even if they were farther still and the force of the explosion did not reach them, it would be next to impossible not to feel the distortion it had created.

"Are you sure you are okay with all of this?" Katsuharu asked, his eyes lingering on the back of the person whom he was talking to.

"Even if it isn't there's nothing I could have done about it." The Clone replied. "He would no longer listen to reason. Luca and the Dragon God of Darkness has completely corrupted him."

"But he is still your father, Takuya." Katsuharu said then added, "Oh, that's right. You don't like being called with your younger brother's name now."

Shinya shrugged. Despite having regained all of his powers as the Chosen One of Fire he had yet to reclaim his own body as he was still stuck at the body cloned from Takuya, his younger brother.

"How many people know of who I really am, your highness?" Shinya asked, his eyes still gazing at the direction where he had left his father.

"Just the two of us, and my mother, of course." Katsuharu replied. "There's also the old General Kimura, but he's the least of our problems now... and Ishige Orimoto as well as your mother."

Shinya nodded.

"Now, I've kept my end of the bargain, Shinya." Katsuharu went on, taking a step forward as he spoke. "It's your turn to keep your end. I hope you haven't forgotten about our deal."

"I'm not like my father, easily swayed." Shinya replied. "I always stand by my word. But I trust you have prepared for this as well."

Katsuharu nodded then said, "The way you talk about your father, it seems like you don't respect him at all."

Shinya closed his eyes and let the wind blow on his auburn colored hair. Then, he replied, "The man whom you have come to know is not my father. That person is the one whom I do not respect."

"Even though that man was the one who went through all the lengths to bring you back... Huh, you sure do know how to show your gratitude." Katsuharu said having grown accustomed to talking with his companion.

"I did not ask to be brought back... only to be confined in this shell." Shinya replied. "None of this would have happened to both you and I have my father accepted my fate. Luca would still have been imprisoned and the Dragon God of Darkness would not have corrupted this world."

"Hmph. That may be so, but there's nothing we can do about that now." Katsuharu said. "What's important is that we both fulfill our own duties with you fulfilling your promise to me first."

Shinya nodded. "You're right. I almost lost myself in my own darkness for a moment there. Now, let us go. We don't have a moment to lose."

Katsuharu nodded and just before they left the building they were hiding themselves in, Katsuharu stopped Shinya and said, "Don't worry about not being able to control that darkness again. I will make sure that you don't lose yourself as you did before... that is part of the deal, isn't it?"

Shinya looked back at Katsuharu and nodded saying, "Thank you." before they completely left.

The four corners of the fortress was quiet, peaceful even. It was hard to tell that these people from the Empire were in the midst of a war with the rebel Organization. The people guarding the fortress was lax, as if they never feared any attacks from the Organization, perhaps, since they have the power of the enhanced knights on their side.

However, in the midst of the silence two figures began to make their way into one of the towers in the northern end of the fortress. Their movements were swift, silently taking care of any guards and knights that may notice them – leaving none in their wake.

Despite having to kill off anyone who sees them, they were making quick progress towards the tower where their target was.

"Who would have thought that we would be doing this just in time for the sunrise?" Katsuharu said as they dealt with another pair of guards guarding the staircase with one fell swoop.

"Who would have even thought that you would be the one leading us through all this?" Shinya said as they continued on with their ascension to the tower. "I don't think those guards would have imagined being killed by their own prince."

"Or by their hero." Laughed sadly Katsuharu. "Somehow, I feel sorry for them since they were only caught up in all of this."

"We can't look back now, your highness." Shinya said. "We're almost there."

"Right." Nodded Katsuharu.

And so, on the duo went taking down as many enemies that came their way. In Katsuharu's eyes one can find burning determination at the task at hand. The same could be said of Shinya who wanted to keep his end of the bargain and his promise to his friend as well.

When they got to the top of the tower, they saw that their two other companions – both normal guards working for them, had already dealt with the real guards who were supposed to be guarding the door.

"We've taken care of them, sir." Said one of the guards.

"Well, done." Katsuharu said and then he dismissed the two guards to return to their normal posts and pretend nothing had happened. When the two guards were gone, he then faced Shinya and said, "Well, this is it."

"Are you nervous?" Shinya asked.

"N-no... Of course not!" Katsuharu said.

"If you're worried that there might be a trap waiting for us inside, you shouldn't be." Shinya said as he walked forward and took the handle of the door with his right hand. "If things get out of hand, I'll make sure nothing happens to you. Not only have I thought of you as a means for me to keep hold of my sanity but also as a companion and as a friend."

Katsuharu was surprised to hear Shinya talk the way he did. Never had he showed any emotion or concern to anyone but himself until now. This only proved to Katsuya that Shinya was really fighting his inner demons.

"I see." He smiled. "I am glad you do not think of me as a burden or as simply a duty that you must accomplish. Very well then, let's get this over and done with and get out of this place."

Shinya nodded and with that he opened the door.

* * *

"So, where do we go now?" Izumi asked as they took one last look at the house that they had stayed in with Valthoria. "Should we go back to the others? They could use our help."

Takuya continued to look at the house, his mind full of thoughts. He was still confused at what Valthoria had wanted to happen. For him, the old man was still not clear with his wishes. Dis he not want Takuya to make a choice or was he hinting him on what to choose?

"Takuya? Are you listening?" Izumi asked, then he waved a hand in front of Takuya's face but she still earned no replies from him. Sighing, Izumi thought of something to snap him back to reality.

She slapped him. It wasn't hard that would make his cheeks red and leave a palm print but just enough to wake him up from his daze.

"Huh? What?" Takuya asked getting back to his senses. "Were you saying something, Izumi?"

She sighed yet again. Ever since Valthoria parted from them and returned to Avalon, Takuya had been so lost in thought that it was so hard just to talk to him.

"You really should stop spacing out." She said. "It's getting so frustrating."

"S-sorry. I was just... thinking." Takuya replied. "But it isn't that important right now... I think. So, what was it that you were saying?"

Izumi looked at Takuya intently that made Takuya ask if there was something on his face. Izumi shook her head and said, "Takuya, it's not just your problem, okay? We're in this together. Both you and I."

Takuya smiled warmly. It was the first time he had smiled since Valthoria died and Izumi was greatful that he did. Then he said, "Izumi, thank you."

Izumi smiled back, then said, "Now, let me repeat my question for you. Where do we go now? Should we go back to the others?"

Takuya shook his head, his face reverted back to being serious but had the warmth in them that was laking before.

"No, we can't go back for now." Takuya replied. "I promised your father that I would take you as far away from trouble as possible. And that means away from them since they are fighting the Empire. If they lose and we're there, we could end up losing not just the war but you as well."

"Then what are we supposed to do now?" Izumi asked. She did not know that her father had asked that of him. "We can't just stay here."

"You're right." Takuya replied. Izumi noticed that he was hesitating to say something.

"What is it?" Izumi asked.

"It's just that, Valthoria said in his story that my mother is still alive somewhere..." Takuya said as he recalled how Valthoria had narrated to them the truth of what had happened. "...I know this may sound selfish, Izumi... but I want to look for her."

"Then why don't we?" Izumi asked.

"Well, we don't have any leads and I may just be leading us into a wild goose chase." Takuya replied. "I don't want to drag us both around."

"Well, we don't have anything else to do." Izumi said. "I really don't mind, Takuya. Besides, by looking for your mother we'll be moving around very often which would make it hard for the Empire to locate both of us. That's better than staying in this place, even if this place is beautiful."

"A-are you sure about that?" Takuya asked.

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Izumi asked back.

"I'm not." Takuya replied. "It's just that, I thought you would want to take a little break from all these running."

"I'm fine, Takuya." Izumi replied with a smile. "Besides, if we find your mother we could also find a way to save your father. It may seem like a long shot but..."

"But what?"

Izumi turned around and began walking to where they had found the Omni-Craft, fully repaired then said, "Even if the odds are stacked against us in finding your mother, as long as there's a chance that we might discover something we have to pursue it, right? I think Valthoria would have told you that."

Takuya grinned. He felt lucky to have Izumi by his side on such a time as this. With one final look at the small cottage, Takuya whispered, "Good-bye, Valthoria." and ran after Izumi.

As they fired up the engine of the Omni-Craft and finally get off of the island that they had been stranded in. Takuya's thoughts brought him back to Valthoria's final words.

_"The path has now been opened, now you must choose how you will travel through it."_

_"__Remember, you humans are capable of so much when you do not take life for granted. Even when the odds are stacked against you, as long as you believe that there is a chance, you have to pursue it...Remember..."_

Takuya looked over at Izumi who was standing beside him as he steered the Omni-Craft into flying through the skies and Izumi looked back at him and nooded.

"I will remember your words, Valthoria." Takuya told himself as they made their way to their first destination. The town of Harim.

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**To be Continued...**

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**Post Author's Notes:**

And that concludes the chapter for this week.

The next update would be on Friday next week, same time as well.

Also, thanks to all who reviewed and those who have been checking on my blog for news on the game and the fanfics. I will continue posting there so be sure to keep in touch. Also, if things go as planned, I may release a video of the game on the first week of January. I know, it's still pretty far off but still... that's only if things go as planned. Just check the blog to find out.

Also, feel free to register to the VIS Forums if you still haven't.

That place needs to be populated. Those who want to be a part of the team should join. Same goes for those who just want to talk or whatever.

Anyways, that's all for now.

Until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE", reminding you guys to drop a line (review) and signing out! Take Care, everyone! Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**

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	52. A Formidable Foe Stands in the Way

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes:**

First up, a Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you guys have/had a wonderful celebration with your friends and family because I know I sure did. Lol

Anyways, as promised, here is the newest chapter of Rabbit on the Moon. Hope you guys like it!

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**A Formidable Foe Stands in the Way**

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It had been two days since they began their way towards Harim. Ever since they left the island, both Takuya and Izumi had taken time to keep on training themselves aboard the Omni-Craft, making sure that none of Valthoria's teachings go to waste.

From time to time, Izumi would still find Takuya lost in deep thought, thinking about the choice he has to make and the death of Valthoria. And through those times, she would be by his side. She would not say anything, just sit with him to let him know that he was not alone.

Takuya could hardly express his gratitude towards her. Saying 'Thank You' to her was definitely not enough, and he made this known to Izumi, who just shook her head and told him that it was nothing. He loved her for that and she returned his feelings.

There are times, however, when it was the other way around. When Izumi would be the one lost in thought, wondering how her father was doing, if he was alright and doing well with the others. Despite being aboard an Organization's craft, there was no way they could contact them, something that Takuya had guessed was planned by the Leader and Izumi's father for their own safety.

During those times when worry for her father's sake drowned her, it would be Takuya's turn to hold her close and make her feel that everything would be alright. Despite how worried she would feel, she also know how strong her father was. Takuya assured her that her father would not fall so easily.

"He still has a promise to keep with both of us." Takuya would tell her. "He won't dare break his promise, especially since it has something to do with me."

Izumi could never understand what Takuya mean when he say those words. But Takuya just laugh and say that it was a promise her father made with him before they left.

Through the course of their journey towards Harim, Takuya and Izumi's relationship grew. With each passing day that they spend with each other, they become closer and closer. It felt right for them both.

Soon they found themselves in that all too familiar scenery and scent. Though they hardly remember all of their childhood memories, what with some things remaining blank, it would seem that their body had not.

When Takuya voiced this out, Izumi told him, "I guess this would have to be what they meant by 'Memories of the Body'."

"Memories of the Body?" Takuya asked as the Omni-Craft began to dock itself somewhere in the middle of Harim's forest grounds.

"'The mind may forget but the body does not.'" Chanted Izumi with her eyes closed, the wind blowing in her hair. "A fortune-teller once told me that when my father and I decided to go to a bazaar. I didn't understand her back then, but now I think I know what she means."

Takuya had been taken aback by Izumi's explanation and so he asked, "Wait, you went to seek advice from a fortune-teller?"

Izumi blushed as she grinned sheepishly, "Well, I didn't know what else to do to find the answer I was looking for."

"Answer?" Takuya asked yet again. "Answer to what?"

Izumi turned around and said, "To who that stupid boy I keep seeing on my dream was, of course. I wanted so badly to know who he was because I feel as though he was someone important. Now I wonder if he did anything to try and remember who I was back then."

Takuya laughed and hugged Izumi from behind, burying his head on her shoulder he replied, "I bet he was also wondering why he couldn't stop thinking of a reason why the name 'Orimoto' always made him think about his childhood. Of course, being in a place such as the Knight Academy, he couldn't do anything about it."

"So you say." Laughed Izumi.

Soon, the Omni-Craft landed safely on the ground with a soft 'thud'. Looking around for any hostile activities and finding none, Takuya helped Izumi down the said vehicle and the two of them made their way to the village.

It certainly wasn't the Harim that their childhood memories allowed them to remember nor was it the same Harim that they have both been to ever since the whole fiasco with King had happened. Thanks to the King's Knights ravaging the village and razing it to the ground, there were only a few hints of the beauty that once was Harim.

Even so, the people there remained jubilant. They were greeted with smiling and happy faces, no traces of what had occurred in their peaceful village was visible in them. Despite the havoc caused by the Knights, Harim had found itself back up again and was breaming with hope and laughter.

Everywhere their eyes lingered, there were children being taught the same things that both Izumi and Takuya were taught when they were young. The young boys were taught how to fight while the girls were taught how to use magic – at least, those that hold great potential to do so were taught.

There were also traveling merchants who are busy selling their wares to the people who have lost most of their belongings. Izumi had overheard one merchant selling furniture for as low as 50 bits. A great bargain no less.

There are also farmers working to plow their fields, hoping to get the same amount of crops or even greater amount than before the village was burnt down. Although tired, these people managed to wave at them and shout a simple greeting when they saw them coming.

Gossiping women would also stop to greet them. Of course, there are those who would stop upon seeing Takuya and give him a wink or two before they catch a death glare from Izumi who obviously did not like what they were doing while Takuya just scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly.

Takuya and Izumi, however, did not make any stops as they walked through Harim. Instead, they made their way to the place that they figured would hold answers to Takuya's question concerning his mother – the house of the Village Chief of Harim.

It took a while, however, for the two of them to find the Chief's House having forgotten the possibility that the Chief would have had his house moved to a different location after the attack on Harim. It is the sensible thing to do, after all, no one would want to have their house rebuilt in the middle of a very large crater caused by the Knights' bombs which they set off as a warning to the whole village.

When they finally stepped into the Chief's house, they both did not need any introductions as the Village Chief, Anizer, quickly recognized the two.

"Ah, Takuya Kanbara and Izumi Orimoto, welcome!" Greeted Chief Anizer as soon as he caught sight of the two. "It has been a while since we last met. I hope you are both doing well."

"Yes, it has been a while, Chief." Grinned Takuya.

"It's always a pleasure to see you, Chief Anizer." Said Izumi with a smile.

"Ah, but the pleasure's all mine. After all, it's such a rare occasion to have two Chosen Ones visit us at the same time without bearing some bad news or causing havoc in our peaceful village." Chief Anizer said with a chuckle, then added, "You did come here not to warn us of impending danger, am I right?"

Takuya laughed. "There's no need to worry, Chief. We're here on a personal matter."

"Oho, personal matter... I see." Said the Chief, his eyes sparkling with happiness. "Then you're both getting married now and in Harim no less? Oho, I have always known you two would end up together, Ohoho."

To say that both Takuya and Izumi's faces are as red as a ripe Tomato is quite an understatement. There is perhaps no comparison worthy of note to compare how red their faces are upon hearing what their Village Chief had just said.

But the Chief did not stop there as he went on to say how everyone in the village practically expected them to get together sooner. How the young men of the Village have loathed Takuya for having captured Izumi's heart when they were still young and how the young women of the village envied Izumi whenever they see how much Takuya cares about the young maiden.

The Chief even went to say how the old ones in the village even made a bet on them. In the end, the Chief had to stop himself from talking too much less he should say something that he shouldn't.

"If you are both going to ask for the Village's blessing, we already gave that to you when you were both young." The Village Chief said then turned pale as he remembered something, "Oh wait, I shouldn't have said those things..."

It took a while for Takuya and Izumi to regain their composure and to regain the normal colors on their faces whilst those in the room snickered at how the Chief had made the two blush.

"A-actually, Chief... uh, we... didn't come here for that." Takuya said, a small blush still visible in his face.

"You didn't?" Chief Anizer said, he was definitely surprised.

"N-no." Izumi was the one who answered.

"Then why did you both come here? Together no less." Chief Anizer asked.

Takuya looked around the room to see the faces of those who were watching the very amusing exchange between the Village Chief and the two Chosen Ones who hailed from the village. When Chief Anizer saw what he was doing and understood why he was doing it, the Chief assured the young man that everyone in the room is trustworthy.

Takuya nodded and answered the Chief's query. "We came here... because I wanted to know everything there is to know about my mother."

"Your mother?" Chief Anizer asked raising an eyebrow. "Why are you asking me about your mother? You know all about her, don't you? You know how she lived and how she died and what kind of person she is."

"We know everything, Chief." Takuya said, his face was serious now. "At least, I know that the person I remember and know a lot about is not my real mother. She was a villager here whom my real mother and General Kouta Kimura asked to act as my real mother..."

"H-how... How did you know about that?" Anizer asked. He was shocked to learn what Takuya knew.

"We met with someone named 'Valthoria', Chief Anizer." Izumi explained. "He told us everything that had happened. From the moment my father, Takuya's father and his brother stepped foot on a forbidden island to the time when Takuya's mother asked Lord Kouta to erase our memories and to keep us safe."

Silence filled the Village Chief's house. It was the kind of silence that only a serious conversation could produce.

"Ah, I see." Chief Anizer said, his eyes closed and his arms crossed. "So, you've finally learned of the truth. Then I suppose you also know now that it is your brother who is the real Chosen One of the Flames."

Takuya nodded. "Valthoria also told us that. I still can't believe it all, but I accept the facts nevertheless."

Chief Anizer smiled, "You have grown, Takuya. And I am not saying this just because of how tall you are now but how matured you've become."

"So, can you tell us what you know about my real mother? Do you know if she's alive? Do you know where I can find her? What's her name? What does she look like? Have she been in contact with the village? Is she here?" Takuya gave Anizer a barrage of question, only taking time to breathe in between them.

Izumi was surprised at how fast Takuya blurted out all of his questions concerning his mother. At least, all the questions that came into his mind at that moment. Chief Anizer, however, was highly amused by it.

"Maybe you should write all of your questions in a piece of paper if you are afraid of forgetting any of them." Chief Anizer joked.

"This is no time to joke about this, Chief." Takuya said, it was obvious how anxious he was to learn all that he could about his mother. The way he was acting made Izumi giggle. "I'm being serious!"

"Yes, yes, of course. I understand how serious the matter is for you and how anxious you are to learn all the answers to these questions, Takuya." Chief Anizer said as he moved from where he was standing towards where Izumi and Takuya were standing. "Which should I answer first then?"

"Uh, just... tell me all you know about my mother." Takuya replied.

"Then sit down, this may take a while." The Chief said as he led the two to the sofa.

* * *

Night soon fell on Harim.

As soon as the wonderful village lights lit up, both Takuya and Izumi were awed. They have forgotten how wonderful and how lively the village could be at night.

It had taken them quite a while to learn all that the Village Chief, Anizer, had to say about Takuya's mother. What they got from him was hardly enough, but it was a lot more than Takuya had actually expected.

They were on their way to the inn where the Village Chief had already prepared their room when the village lights went on, and so, they decided to stay outside and look around for a while longer. It has been quite a long time after all.

Night time in Harim always felt like a festival. There were countless stalls open, some selling food like Octopus balls, cotton candies, and other festival foods while others held games and the remaining others were selling all sorts of merchandise.

In his mind, Takuya was thankful for the village for not forgetting such a nightly tradition. Seeing Izumi's happy face and seeing her enjoying the night made it all the more worthwhile. Of course, Takuya did not protest whenever Izumi dragged him from booth to booth; stall to stall.

Through it all, Takuya gazed at Izumi. He always have viewed her as a goddess, but now, with the village lights, she was beyond goddess-like. Her beauty, to his eyes, were unparalleled and incomparable.

At one point, Izumi caught him looking at her.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Izumi asked.

Takuya shook his head. "No. I just can't help myself be mesmerized by your beauty."

And at that, Izumi blushed and had to hide her face from Takuya at which Takuya became worried at having said something he shouldn't have.

"H-hey! D-did I say s-something wrong?" Takuya asked.

It was Izumi's turn to shake her head. "I hope you're not just saying that to start a conversation, Takuya."

"Of course not!" Takuya said. He then tried to look at something less interesting and said, "I meant what I said. I wouldn't use that to start a conversation. Besides, there's plenty of things that we can talk about, you know that."

Izumi laughed then turn towards Takuya and said, "I know."

Like always, the nightly festivities ended with fireworks. Being a village that specializes with such, it was no wonder that the fireworks display was amazing. Any travelers who manage to wind up Harim would say nothing short of that.

As soon as the fireworks were done, Takuya and Izumi made their way to the inn. Once there, the innkeeper gladly welcomed them and went on to say how much they have grown.

"My, You look just like your mother, Izumi." the innkeeper said, a big smile plastered on her face. "And you, Takuya, you look so much like your father."

"Y-yeah, I get that a lot... though I'm not very happy with it what with everything that's been going on with the Kingdom...er... Empire." Takuya said, returning the old lady's smile.

"Oh, dear. I know. I was surprised to hear how Hiroaki was acting." the innkeeper said. "He was such a nice boy. He and Ishige always did play pranks on other people, but that's the worst they did."

"My dad did what?" Izumi was surprised, this was something new to her.

"Oh yes, Ishige and Hiroaki would always cause such a ruckus. Of course, Yuriko would always stand up for them saying they were just coaxed by the other children." the innkeeper reminisced. "Of course, Chief Yuzu, the Village Chief back then would just laugh whatever they did off."

"Yuriko... that's my mother's name." Takuya muttered more to himself than anyone else as he remembered the name that was given to him by Chief Anizer.

"I heard from the Chief that you've learned about the truth." the innkeeper said. "I'm sorry that we have to keep all of these a secret, dear."

Takuya shook his head. "There's no need to apologize, ma'am. You and the other villagers did what you all thought was the best. I appreciate that... and even now that I know the truth, you did not hide it from me. If anything else, I should be apologizing for all the troubles my family has brought into Harim."

"_Takuya really is becoming more matured."_ Izumi thought as she merely listened to the conversation. A smile was on her face. She was proud at how Takuya had grown through their journey. _"He's so different from back when we first met..."_

After talking with the innkeeper and having obtained their room's key, the two of them went up the wooden staircase and into the second door on the right which had a wooden sign that said 'Reserved'.

Once inside, Takuya allowed himself to fell face-forward on his bed. It was warm and soft. Something that was quite new to him after all the times of not being able to sleep on one. Izumi, on the other hand, looked around their room for a bit before she let herself plopped on her own bed.

The room that they were given was fairly decorated, as could be expected after what Harim had been through. There were white colored curtains hanging on the two windows on the northern end of the room where you can view Harim's forest grounds.

There were also a couple of bookshelves, one of them was only half-filled with books all made a poor wooden material. Apart from their two cozy beds, there was also four chairs and a table to go with them.

The flooring, however, was well furnished with a wool carpet that matched the color of the room which was peach in color.

"I am so tired." Izumi yawned, stretching her arms up while still lying on her bed.

"Yeah, me too." Takuya said while his face was still buried on the bed.

"What are we suppose to do now, Takuya?" Izumi asked. "We learned all we can about your mother here."

Takuya rolled over so that he was now looking up at the ceiling and said, "The Chief said that my mom soon went to live in a temple, right?"

"So, we're going to go there? To Aria's Temple?" Izumi asked.

Takuya nodded, although he was sleepy, Izumi could still feel his burning determination to find his mother.

"You know, Takuya, I sure do envy you." Izumi said out of the blue. "From what Chief Anizer and what Valthoria said, you're mother is still alive... you still have a chance to see her and talk to her, where as I..."

Takuya looked over at Izumi, sadness evident in her face. He hated seeing her like that and he hated that what was making her upset was something he could do nothing about.

He didn't even know what to tell her. He could find no words to say, and so, he simply remained silent.

"I'm sorry." Izumi finally said after a while. "Now I'm just being selfish..."

"No, you're not." Takuya assured her. "You may no longer have your mother with you physically, but you know that she'll always be watching over you, right? As long as you keep her in your memory... she will always be alive within you and through you... Besides, you have a wonderful father. And although I still have mine, he isn't exactly the same person as everyone remembers him to be... and I don't even know if I can bring him back."

"I guess, in the end of all this... we still won't be able to live in a happy, complete family." Izumi said and Takuya nodded.

"Jeez, this talk is getting depressing." Takuya said, wanting to change the subject and throwing his hands up in the air in the process.

"Sorry for bringing that up." Izumi apologized yet again.

At her apology, Takuya stood up from his bed and walked to where Izumi lay. Izumi then sat up, wondering what Takuya was about to do. He then faced her, their eyes leveled.

The way Takuya looked at her made Izumi turn crimson.

Takuya then raised his hand and poked a finger on her forehead. It was a surprising gesture coming from Takuya.

"Wha-what was that for?" Izumi said holding her forehead with her right hand.

"Stop apologizing." Takuya merely stated, still staring at her eyes. "Unnecessary apologies are, well, unnecessary."

"But, that wasn't an unnecessary apology." Izumi said while still rubbing her forehead.

Takuya stood up and went back to his bed, as he did so he replied, "One apology is enough for it, you know."

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"Here we are." Shinya said as he as well as his two other companions suddenly appeared.

"Are you sure we're safe here?" Their female companion asked.

Shinya nodded. "My...father... and the Emperor had abandoned this village since he could not get any information from the people here. Of course, he and King did not know that the villagers survived the onslaught.."

"So, they have attacked this place as well..." She muttered more to herself. "Things have certainly gone out of hand."

"His Majesty, the Emperor, had done a lot of horrible things while you were locked up in that tower, mother." Katsuharu said as they began to walk towards the Village.

With only Harim's night lights to guide them, the three made their way to the Village Chief's house. It took quite a while after they have arrived there to finally get someone to open the door for them.

"Oh, it's you, Takuya" Said the person who opened the door, holding back a yawn that was trying to escape his lips. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I came to speak with Anizer." Shinya said, holding the door open just in case the man decides to close the door on their faces.

"The Chief? Did you forget something?" the man asked, still oblivious that the person he was talking to was not Takuya.

"Does that mean that Takuya is in this village as well?" Katsuharu stepped in. "Well, isn't that a lucky coincidence."

"Y-you're... the Emperor's son... Prince Katsuharu!" the man said upon seeing Katsuharu's face, it was also then that he noticed the third member of the party. "A-ah... Queen Ophania."

"What are you doing with these people, Takuya? Why did you bring them here?" The man asked. He then faced the two nobles and said, "The village has suffered enough already. We don't know anything more about the Chosen Ones than what we have told you."

"I'm afraid you're mistaking Shinya for his younger brother." Katsuharu spoke. "Well, it's not a surprise seeing as how he looks like right now."

"S-Shinya!? Shinya Kanabara?" the man said, falling back allowing the trio to enter the house. "W-wha--!"

"Please calm down and allow us to speak with your Chieftain." Queen Ophania said, her voice was very soothing and it seemed to have the effect of calming down the man.

"You...look so much like Takuya..." The man said in awe as well as in fright. "Like you're identical twins or something..."

Shinya just 'hmped' while Katsuharu responded, "Yes, he gets that a lot. Moving along, we really need to talk with your Chieftain."

It would seem that the commotion caused by them was enough to rouse Anizer as he came out of his room asking, "What's all that ruckus?"

The moment that Anizer saw the people inside of his house, his jaw dropped. "Prince Katsuharu... and Queen Ophania... Takuya, what's the meaning of this?"

"How many times do we have to say that I'm not my brother." Shinya replied, he was really annoyed.

"Wait, Shinya?" Anizer said, he was just as surprised as the man who opened the door was. "Y-you look just like Takuya."

"Enough about that, Anizer." Shinya said. "We came here to ask for your help."

"I don't think that's a great way to start this conversation up, Shinya." Katsuharu said laughing nervously.

"Help? That's a surprise. What makes you think we'd be helping the empire after what you've done to us and our village?" Anizer replied.

"Because by not helping us you're helping the empire." Shinya replied.

"I don't understand what you're saying." Anizer said, standing his ground.

"We need a place where we could hide my mother." Katsuharu was the one who explained. "The Emperor... my father, had been keeping her locked up in one of the towers in the Felisian Fortress."

"It seems Seraphim... needs me for something once all of the Chosen Ones' powers have been gathered that's why he was keeping me locked up and was forcing Katsuharu to do his bidding." Queen Ophania finished.

"This is the safest place I know of, after all, Katsuharu had made it possible for the Knights not to come back here after sending word that all the villagers have been dealt with." Shinya informed the Chief.

"What?" Chief Anizer was surprised at the revelation.

"I've been planning to rescue my mother for a while now. That's was why..." Katsuharu trailed off.

The Village Chief closed his eyes to think for a while. It was such a big decision to make – harboring the Queen. It would most definitely make the Emperor angry when he learns that she is no longer in the tower. When that time comes, it is also a given that he would do anything in his power to find her. How long then will it take before he realizes she could be in Harim? How long then would the peace that Harim has regained last?

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"How long are we going to stay here?" Izumi asked the next morning.

"I don't know. We could stay here a bit longer if you want." Takuya replied.

"That would be good." Izumi smiled. "I've missed this place... hey, do you think we can go to the forest later?"

"The forest? We hid the Omni-Craft there, remember?" Takuya replied.

"I meant the place where we used to go to when we were kids. You know, the place we molded our dream world to look like." Izumi said.

They had not left their room since eating breakfast down at the pub. It had been strange that morning – the looks that Takuya were receiving were far different from the looks he received the day before. It was as if they were afraid of him or something.

"That was strange." Takuya suddenly said as he remembered how the Villagers in the pub were looking at him and were whispering with whomever they were with as if they have heard some juicy rumor.

Izumi looked at the young man sitting beside her and asked, "What was?"

"Those looks the villagers were giving me down at the pub." Takuya said, he was staring at the ceiling, his arm wrapped around Izumi's shoulders. "Call me paranoid but it felt like they were wary of me."

"I didn't notice that." Izumi replied thinking back. "Maybe it's just your imagination."

"Maybe. But I have this strange feeling. I can't explain what it is but it's making me restless for some reason."

Izumi stood up and then faced Takuya smiling, "Let's go out for a walk then. Maybe it will help you calm yourself down."

And that was how Takuya ended up walking once again around Harim. It was a perfect day for a walk, so Takuya could not complain. The sun was shinning high above the cerulean sky and the wind's gentle breeze made walking easy.

An hour has passed since they decided to walk around when someone spoke from behind.

"Well, well... I guess the rumors of you two staying here were true." He said.

The moment they heard his voice, Takuya turned around and quickly stood in front of Izumi. Izumi gasped as she saw who it was that spoke.

"Katsuharu..." Takuya said, his hand was already resting at the hilt of his sword, ready to unsheathe it should Katsuharu try to take Izumi away from him. "What are you doing here!?"

"Is that a way to greet an old friend, Takuya?" Katsuharu said, unfazed.

"You're no friend of mine! You're a traitor to the Organization." Takuya retorted.

"That's no way to talk to a Prince, little brother." Came Shinya's voice as he appeared behind Katsuharu.

If Takuya and Izumi had been surprised to see Katsuharu, they were even more surprised to come across Shinya at such a place as Harim.

"It's been a while Takuya.... and Izumi." Shinya greeted them.

"Shinya..."

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**To be continued...**

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**Post Author's Notes:**

Well, that's it for this week's update. It was pretty longer than I had expected, lol.

Anyways, how did your christmas celebration go? I've had a so-so Christmas, of course, the holiday season is not yet over. The New Year is coming, which also means that my birthday is nearing as well, lol. I'm quite excited about what kind of gifts I'll be getting for my birthday.

Anyhow, that's besides the point. How did you guys like this chapter? I hope it is enough to satisfy your cravings, lol... at least until next week comes.

Well, I'm pretty beat from finishing this and not being able to sleep early last night so I'll leave this chapter here. Don't forget to review and send me your thoughts, okay? Oh, and have you guys checked out the VIS Forums yet?

Well, check it out if you haven't.... It just started so, like I've said, don't expect too much. Although my blog is more informative than the forums...still. Anyways, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and wishing you all a Merry Christmas (or whatever you call this holiday) and a Happy New Year! Take care now. Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**

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	53. A Firefly's Light

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes:**

Well, it's Friday once again (well, at least it's already Friday over here) which means update time. Anyways, Happy New Year to everyone. Hope you had a wonderful celebration with your loved ones, I know I did.

Well, I wouldn't want to keep you guys waiting. So here is the next chapter of RotM. Happy Reading!

Just a quick note, please read the Post Author's Notes. There's a small favor I'm asking everyone's help for. ^_^

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**A Firefly's Light**

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The sun was burning bright in the horizon. It was such a clear morning, no clouds lingered in the heavens. Noon was nearing and on days such as these farmers would busy themselves making sure that their crops would not wilt, not that it would, for despite the heat of the sun, the wind made sure that it would be a fair day – not too hot, not too cold.

On such a day as this, masters of the art of fighting and masters of the use of magic would drive their students to work harder. Anyone caught napping would certainly hear no end of it and whatever group that person belonged to would also be punished along with him. It had always been like that, after all, the people of Harim believed that the unit they belonged to is like a family – one for all, all for one.

The merchants from the day before were still in their usual places making a living for themselves while trying to help Harim get back on its feet.

Yes, everything was pretty much how Harim usually is. Everything that is, except for one thing...

Takuya had drawn out his weapon, his eyes affixed to the person sharing the same face as his. There was nothing in his eyes except for anger and the determination that he would protect Izumi at all cost.

The people who were in the plaza where Takuya and Izumi were making their stand against Shinya and Katsuharu, were all wondering what was to happen now. Some were surprised to see two Takuyas. Some were surprised to see the Empire's Prince. Some were merely there to watch the fight unfold. Others took one look and immediately saw trouble and so, these few others ran to the Chieftain's House to let Chief Anizer know about the situation. No matter what the reason for these people to be there was, everyone was sure of one thing, they were not about to get in the way of this battle.

"I'd expect a warmer welcome from you, little brother." Shinya said, his eyes were as cold as ever, staring straight at Takuya.

Takuya stared right back at him in the same way. His sword in hand and pointing directly at Shinya while Izumi looked from Takuya to Shinya then to Katsuharu and back to Takuya once again. She could hear whispers of questions asking what was going to happen, honestly, she herself do not know the answer to it.

"If we weren't in a place where a lot of people could get hurt I would have made sure you'd be in for a welcome of your life." Takuya retorted. "What are you doing here? How did you manage to figure out where we are."

"Believe me, I was just as surprise to find out that you and Izumi were here." Shinya replied, "If you don't believe me, ask Katsuharu."

"As if we'd believe whatever he has to say." Izumi blurted out.

"Ouch, I'm hurt Izumi, after all that we've been through." Katsuharu said, acting hurt at what Izumi had just said. "I would have thought you'd be more moderate about it."

"I'll show you moderation." Izumi said as she remembered Katsuharu's treachery and without thinking, conjured a ball of wind in her hands and aimed it at the prince.

Katsuharu dodged the attack that created a small, yet powerful, explossion. He, as well as Shinya, were both surprised at the power that small ball of wind had.

"That was quite a surprise, Izumi." Katsuharu said. "If that would have hit me, I don't know what could have happened."

"Then why don't we find out." Izumi said, ready to conjure another one of her attacks.

Takuya however stopped her saying, "We still need to know what these two are doing here."

"That's another surprise." Shinya said, his expression remaining the same. "I would have thought you'd charged up to me like before, and like before, end up being defeated."

"You can be surprised at how we've changed." Takuya said. "Like I've said, we can't risk the lives of the innocent bystanders. I know how dirty you both can fight." He then turned to Katsuharu and said, "You won't be able to use your illusions here as well, Katsuharu... unless you don't know, this place is protected from that."

"Protected? Really now?" Katsuharu said as he opened the palm of his hands and small glittering lights appeared along with a smoke of the same color and a sweet fragrance.

Just before it spread however, a powerful gust of wind blew all the particles and the smell away.

"Didn't Takuya just said that that won't work?" Izumi said, it was quite evident that she caused the gust.

"My, my, well prepared are we?" Shinya said. Then, with a speed that is yet to be matched he suddenly disappeared then reappeared behind Izumi, one of his hands on her waist while the other was holding a knife on her throat. "Tsk, but you are both still weak."

As he said those words, Izumi stiffened, unsure of what she should do. Just then, Takuya spoke.

"I would think twice about what my next step would be if I were you, _brother_." He said as Shinya found himself on the other end of Takuya's sword. "I swear, hurt her and you will die."

"What makes you think I'll hurt her?" Shinya asked, a smile playing on his lips as he breathe on her neck.

"I dont. But you won't be able to hurt her either way." Takuya said.

Izumi then knew what the only way out of her predicament was as she said, "Let go of me!" and with that Izumi let out a powerful whirlwind that blew Shinya away, knocking him towards a pillar.

"Don't you dare touch me ever again!" She added as she prepared herself to attack once again should the situation call for it. She then turned towards Takuya and said, "You could have stopped him from getting to me, you know."

"I know." Takuya replied, smiling. "But I still wanted to see the look on his face when you did that. Besides, you should know that if he did try anything funny, I would make sure to chop his head of... whether he is my brother or not."

Shinya groaned as he was helped up by Katsuharu who was as amazed at the improvement of both Izumi and Takuya.

"Well, I hate to admit this, Shinya, but they both have become stronger than before." Katsuharu whispered. "Of course, you were going easy on them, right?"

Shinya grunted then said, "Not anymore."

* * *

The villagers scrambled as they made their way to Chief Anizer's house. The commotion that they were causing was enough to catch the Chieftain's attention as well as that of Queen Ophania's.

"What's all this ruckus about?" Anizer demanded to know.

Seeing the look of panic in the faces of those around him, he knew at once that there was trouble.

"Chief..." Said one of the villagers. He was a masculine man with tanned skin and an army haircut, "Takuya and Izumi... they're fighting against someone who looks like Takuya and the Emperor's son."

"What?" Exclaimed Anizer, surprised. "Where?"

"At the plaza." the man huffed.

The Chief of Harim was quick to his feet as he made his way towards the door. The other villagers who ran with the buffed man made way for him. Just before he went out he turned around towards the Queen and said, "Your majesty, I think it would be best if you would come along with me to clear things up with them."

"Y-yes, Yes of course." The Queen said as she too stood up and followed the Chief to the plaza.

* * *

If there had been a lot of bystanders before, there were none now as Shinya had began to attack at our two heroes with full force. Katsuharu, on the other hand, decided to sit this one out.

Takuya was doing his best to fight against his older brother while Izumi was giving him support.

"You challenged me and this is all you can do, little brother?" Shinya shouted, his hand ablaze. "Surely you can do better than dousing my fire with that small amount of power you have. Did you honestly believe that you can beat me with that measly fire of yours? A cloned fire?"

Takuya look back at Izumi who nodded. She then conjured a beam made purely of wind, at that, Takuya added his own touch as he fired a small fireball in the middle of Izumi's attack. The wind then fanned his small fire and the beam of wind was transformed into that of fire which was then directed at Shinya.

Shinya quickly whipped up his own attack to match up with theirs. And the two forces battled together.

As the two beams collided and both Takuya and Izumi fought with Shinya's attack, Shinya said, "How pathetic, you need the help of another just so you can match up with me."

Takuya's brows furrowed and he shouted back, "Guess you have never really heard of the word 'teamwork'!"

Katsuharu could not believe that Shinya had actually went on and fought with Takuya. Of all the places and times that he would revert back to his 'hunt my brother and prove I'm stronger' self, he could not believe it would be now.

"How exactly are we supposed to ask for their help now?" Katsuharu mumbled to himself, exasperated.

It was then that he noticed something was up with Shinya. A dark aura had begun to surround him, and his eyes were beginning to get cloudy.

"This is bad." Katsuharu said. "If this keeps up Luca will..."

Izumi seemed to have noticed this as well as their attack was beginning to be pushed back. She was uncertain if her eyes were merely playing with her or if what she was seeing is true, but in the end she decided to keep it to herself thinking that it might be another one of Shinya's traps.

In the end, another explosion occurred from both Takuya's flame and Shinya's flame. The power that the two flames were producing was so much that it just exploded right then and there. If one were to look at the plaza before and during the fight, one would find it hard to see that it was one and the same place.

"Well, well... I guess there's more to your flame than just a firefly's light." Shinya said, his voice was beginning to change. A sign that darkness had once again began to take hold of him. "But, you see, there's one thing your flame is missing, little brother... a guardian."

Takuya gritted his teeth. He had a bad feeling about this.

Shinya seemed to have seen the faltering in Takuya's eyes as he smirked. Raising his hands in the air he summoned a dog-like creature with sharp fangs and claws. The creature had a fiery mane and its eyes was glowing, golden in color but filled with nothing but the desire to kill. The force coming out of the beast was enough to push Izumi and Takuya back.

Izumi had a scared expression on her face while Takuya had a look of pain in his face.

"What's wrong, Takuya?" Shinya asked, as he walked forwards while Takuya and Izumi both backed down. "What's that look on your face. Don't you remember your old friend, Flayhme?"

Takuya hands were balled up, his nails digging into the palm of his hands. He was angry and he didn't care if blood was already dripping from his hands.

"What...what did you do to him?" Takuya asked, his voice more of a growl.

"Stop it, Shinya!" Katsuharu found that it was the best time to stop the fight. "Enough with the games. We didn't come here to fight with your brother, remember?"

"Do you really want to know?" Shinya asked, not minding whatever it was that Katsuharu was saying. "Ah, you can say that father allowed me to twist him into his more powerful self. Of course, it wasn't a pleasant experience... at least, not for him. But I could care less. He was, after all, created to serve me."

"Shinya, ENOUGH!" Katsuharu shouted as he moved towards Shinya. "If you don't... Luca may end up using you again!"

"Luca?" Izumi and Takuya asked in unison.

"And why would I care about that, Katsuharu?" Shinya asked, the dark cloud was becoming more visible around him. "This power... I can use it to complete the task that you have asked of me."

"Don't make me use my power against you, Shinya." Katsuharu said. "You're better than this. You said it yourself before, you don't want the darkness to eat you up again. What good would that do to you after having gone so far... all of our sacrifices would be in vain if you let him control you again now."

"What exactly is going on here, Katsuharu!?" Takuya demanded to know.

"This isn't exactly the best time and place to discuss that, Takuya." Katsuharu replied, his eyes still focused on Shinya. "Help me bring Shinya back and I'll tell you everything... including the reason why we're here."

"If this is one of your stupid traps, I swear..." Izumi was saying but Katsuharu cut her off.

"It's not!" He said. "This time, I'm not lying. He needs our help, Takuya!"

Takuya looked at Katsuharu. His eyes were measuring him. A second passed which seemed like an eternity as the sky began to darken.

"We don't have much time, Takuya." Katsuharu said as a powerful wind began to blow. It was unnatural but it wasn't something that Izumi had conjured. "You have to help!"

Takuya closed his eyes. He could see the sincerity in Katsuharu's eyes. As much as he hated helping them, he knew that things would not go so well should the entire region be covered by those dark clouds.

"Fine." Takuya said. "But once this is over, you're going to tell me everything."

* * *

The Queen, Ophania, looked above to the sky and saw the dark clouds circling over at the direction that they were heading for.

"This is bad, Chief Anizer." She said as she continued to ran beside the Chieftain. "That cloud..."

"I know what that cloud brings, your majesty." Anizer said. "And it isn't good. We have to hurry and stop Shinya before it's too late."

Queen Ophania nodded and they forced themselves to run faster than before.

Yes. Chief Anizer did indeed know what the dark clouds bring. Shinya had already told him everything the night before when both the Queen and Katsuharu were already sleeping. He had told him of how he had been controlled by Luca, using the darkness in his heart – all the negative emotions he had inside as strings to control him.

"The Dark Clouds Lingers When the Emperor of Darkness Arrives." Shinya had told him.

He didn't need to hear those phrases however, for there was a prophecy stating those very words at Aria's Temple. It was one of the lines found in the prophecy pertaining to the end of the era of the gods.

"What will you choose now, Shinya?" Anizer found himself asking. "Are you really ready now to discard that darkness... or is it already a part of yourself."

* * *

"What exactly should I be doing?" Takuya shouted over the roar of the wind as a whirlwind of fire appeared from where Shinya stood.

"Just... distract him." Katsuharu replied. "Have Izumi help you with that."

"How exactly?" Izumi asked.

"I don't know, just distract him. Be a bait or something like that." Katsuharu replied. "I'll start conjuring up the seal. It would take a while..."

"I really hope what your explanation on all of this is, is worth all of this." Takuya said before he took a step forward, sword in hand, ready for another round of battle. "Just sit this one out, Izumi. I wouldn't forgive myself if something were to happen to you. Besides, you can watch this guy. If he tries anything funny..."

"I'll make sure he doesn't." Izumi said.

Takuya nodded. And without further ado, he rushed forward. He knew what would await him...

"Flayhme..." Takuya said as he saw the dog-like monster coming for him. "I'm sorry my old friend, but I don't have time to play around with you."

Flayhme lounged at him, and Takuya dodged. He didn't look back for he had only one target in mind... Shinya. Shinya seemed to have taken notice of his advances as he began to direct fiery attacks towards him, all of which he managed to dodge thanks to what Valthoria had taught him.

"_Be mindful of your surroundings._" He could hear Valthoria telling him. _"Take everything in and let your mind work with it at the same time. Don't wait for his movements, anticipate."_

Takuya felt Valthoria guiding him, sure enough, he eventually was already just a couple of arms length away from his older brother. And sure enough, he had caught Shinya's full attention.

Izumi, however, was watching Katsuharu who was, true to his word, doing his best to conjure up the seal. She could hear him mumbling things in the ancient tongue. She was surprised, after all, she had heard that only a few people are able to use the ancient language.

"Still believe you're up to the challenge, little brother?" Shinya asked. "You would die before your power can be comparable to mine."

Takuya took a look back at Izumi who looked at Katsuharu, who in turn nodded. Izumi gave Takuya the signal.

At this, Takuya said, "Sorry, brother. But I won't be dying just yet."

Katsuharu then raised his hands up in the air, from where golden light streamed and made its way to Takuya's sword as he shouted, "Come forth, power of the gods of old!"

The sword in Takuya's hand shone with golden colors. It then felt heavy in his hands, as if a dozen metals were placed in them. The glow did not vanish however. Katsuharu saw that Takuya was wondering what he should be doing, and so he told him to strike Shinya with the sword and make sure it hits him.

"That won't be a problem with me." Takuya muttered to himself.

Of course, Shinya heard this and he did his best to dodge Takuya's attacks while counterattacking. Soon, Chief Anizer and Queen Ophania arrived.

"Chief Anizer!" Shouted Izumi as she saw the Chieftain.

"What's going on? Takuya is... fighting?" Anizer answered his own question. "He won't be able to last against Shinya who is using Luca's power."

"Don't worry." Panted Katsuharu. "I've already imbued his sword with sorcery... a sorcery that would allow him to seal Luca away... albeit temporarily."

"Are you alright, son?" Queen Ophania asked as she moved towards her son, a worried look couldl be seen on the mother's face.

"Son?" Izumi asked.

Anizer nodded and said, "Yes. Izumi, meet Queen Ophania, Queen of Frontiria and mother to Katsuharu, born Prince of Frontiria."

"What?" Izumi was shocked to hear that what Shinya was saying before was true. "Prince of Frontiria? You have to be kidding me."

"I'm afraid that that's no joke, Izumi." Katsuharu said. "And what's more, Takuya would have to strike Shinya soon, or the power of the sorcery will vanish."

Sure enough, the glow on the sword was becoming less and less brighter. Takuya could also feel the weight of the sword lifting and so he knew that he would have to act soon. He had made up his mind that the first opening he finds, he will strike.

However, it seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he could not find any openings to Shinya's defense, and soon the sword was almost out of power.

Everyone who was watching, especially those who really do know what's happening could not take their eyes off of the battle. They could feel that what was about to happen, or what won't happen, would have an impact on them in the long run.

Takuya's brow was filled with sweat, his heart was thumping heavily. He felt nervous and his mind was suddenly filled with anxiety and doubt. Questions of what would happen should he fail and if he could make it before the sorcery in the sword ends filled his mind. He could almost hear the laughter, that icy cold and evil laughter of some dark being resonating in the air. Laughing at his demise – at his failure. He could hear his brother saying how weak he was.

"_Don't lose focus, Takuya. Clear your mind of doubts. When you strike do not hold back."_ The voice of Valthoria suddenly echoed in his ear, surprising him in the process. _"Don't tell me you're giving up right in the heat of things. It's not too late just yet Takuya. This is not where your destiny ends... and this is not the highlight of it either. Just let go, and strike..."_

Suddenly, Takuya could not believe what was happening. His body seemed to be moving on its own based on what Valthoria's voice was saying. He was moving swiftly but at the same time he felt that he was not moving at all.

Soon, Takuya found himself with both of his hands on the hilt of his sword, which had pierced Shinya in the heart. He could not understand what had happened nor how he managed to do it. The shock in his eyes and in his facial expression was not an act.

The moment that the sword plunged Shinya's heart, the dark cloud began to dissipate and the roaring flames vanished. The strong, cold wind that was blowing subsided and the sun once again showed itself along with the clear sky.

"What... just happened?" Izumi found herself asking. "Did that have something to do with that sorcery of yours?"

Katsuharu shooked his head. "N-no. My sorcery is just a branch of my power with illusions and with the power that I have as a Chosen One. I have nothing to do with what just happened..."

"Is he...?" Queen Ophania asked as they all walked towards Takuya was standing, still in shock, sword in hand.

Chief Anizer knelt down to where Shinya lay and when he saw him breathing he said, "No, he is merely knocked out. I suppose that's what the seal does as well?"

Katsuharu nodded. "It's not permanent, but that should hold Luca and the Dragon God of Darkness back for a while... at least, until we find a more permanent solution to Shinya's problem."

Izumi then went towards Takuya, "Takuya, are you alright?"

Takuya looked at her then at the sword in his hands. "What just happened, Izumi? I just blanked out for a second and then I find him lying unconscious. What did I do?"

"You mean you don't remember?" Izumi asked, this caught everyone's attention, especially when Takuya shook his head and replied, 'No'. "You won't believe what I'm about to tell you."

"I think I would be willing to believe everything just about now." Takuya replied.

* * *

**To be continued...**

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**Post Author's Notes:**

Once again, a happy new year to everyone!

Yeah, yeah, I know, this chapter isn't as long as my previous ones but it was meant to be a short chapter. Anyways, thoughts of this chapter and of how the story is going so far is, of course, always welcomed. Especially now that I only need ten more reviews to hit a 200 mark on this fanfic. Lol

Anyways, I would be needing help from everyone and a small favor. You see, I joined a contest, a blogging contest, entering my blog/website. However, the place is pretty much deserted with just me posting stuff. Anyways, I need people to visit the site and post comments on my posted topics there. And I mean all of the topics there since the number of comments is part of the contest criteria. (and I really, really, really want to win that contest so badly... so please) So, can you guys take some time and go to my website (the link could be found on my profile) and just leave comments (about the topics there) and help this poor girl out? Like I've said, I really need this favor from you guys.

Anyways, the next update would be on next friday, at eight in the evening GMT+8:00 (Hongkong time). So until then, this is Sakura Martinez reminding everyone to review and to please visit the website and comment there and saying "PEACE". Until next time. Take care, everyone! Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**

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	54. Gentle Sunlight

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes:**

Well, if you all have been checking in on my website (the blog I had been mentioning for a while now), you would have known that there wasn't any RotM or CoT chapter updates last week even before Friday came. Also, if you have read the whole post, you would have known the reason why thus saving me the time to explain myself here. Anyways, I advise you all to check back there from time to time to know what's up and happening and of course, if there are any chapter releases you should be expecting from me.

Anyways, enough about that. Here is the chapter that I owe you guys after not being able to update last week. Enjoy!

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Gentle Sunlight**

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He stood face to face with his enemy. Sweat dripping down his brow. His hand was already sweaty, it was as if any second now the sword on his hand would slip because of the sweat. His breathing was steady but it had become a chore to breathe for he was tired. His legs were just about ready to give in but his will continued to fight. He could not allow himself to fall. Not in this place.

"No, not yet." He muttered to himself as he watched those crimson colored eyes look at him with such malice as the dark smoke continued to whirl around it's owner. "I can't be beaten just yet!"

He looked around in the dark-covered place that he had found himself in. In all honesty, he could not remember what had happened prior to this fight. He could barely recall how he was placed in such a predicament nor where he was at. He took in all that his eyes could see, but the darkness was too thick that he could not see anything save those eyes and himself.

"Why don't you strike?" His foe called out, the voice echoing as if they were in a tunnel. "This is what you came to do, is it not?"

The question caught him off guard but when he came to, he knew better than to answer to the taunts of his enemy. But it seems that his enemy could read his mind very well as he continued to taunt him.

It took all of his might to be steadfast and not to fall into his enemy's taunts. He knew better than that. He knew that he should persevere.

But then, another voice called out to him. This time, the voice had much more force to it. It was commanding in nature and the tone of the voice made him scared... no, wary. It was calling his name, telling him to strike, to let go of his thoughts and follow what he was commanded to do.

He tried to fight the voice off. He didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt like he could trust the voice but at the same time not trust it. It was so confusing for him that his head pounded in confusion.

If there was one thing that he knows of, it was that striking down his enemy and killing him off, as what the voice wanted, was not the right path.

"What's wrong?" the enemy called out.

With every passing moment, he could not help but feel that the one before him was not an enemy however, the voice in his head was telling him that it was an enemy. There was so much conflict in his mind.

As if the predicament was not too much already, the darkness seemed to ebb slightly, allowing him to catch a glimpse of the owner of those eyes. What had been crimson before now showed the same color of eyes that he has – or at least, he used to have. It was not crimson, but rather, auburn.

He was facing an exact replica of himself. No, it wasn't a replica. He knew better than to label him a replica, for he now knows the truth. That person before him was not a clone but was his older brother, Shinya.

"I'm giving you a chance to strike, brother? Why do you hesitate?" Shinya asked, his eyes was as cold as the tone of his voice.

Takuya could not help but step back. The will that was so strong before was now faltering. He could feel himself shaking as he replied, "I... I can't..."

"This was what you have been tasked to do, is it not? To correct the mistakes of the past?" Shinya continued to push Takuya to do what he wants – to kill him. "With my death, you would be one step closer to reaching your goal – your destiny. You would be one step closing to dealing with our father."

He felt helpless. He was so uncertain of what he should do. He could hear voice, countless of them asking him what he would do. Would he strike down his 'foe' or will he back down? The choice would seem easy to some, but for him it proved to be otherwise.

"I can't do it!" Takuya shouted. He felt like a little child being cornered. "Even so... even if you do say so... I still cannot do it. You're my brother, though I hate to admit it, that is the truth that I cannot escape. I will not allow myself to become a beast that is just willing to kill in the name of destiny! There has to be another way out of this!"

There was a slight pause. A silence that passed as Shinya showed emotion in the form of a sad smile on his face. But it soon vanished which made Takuya wonder if that was only an illusion made by the shadows that were playing in his mind.

When the silence died away, Shinya said, "You are too kind, brother. Kind and foolish!"

And with that, Shinya charged in. His sword ready to strike Takuya down without any hesitation. It all happened so fast that Takuya knew he would not have any time to react. He had been to lax, he had dropped his guard and now he was to pay the price.

There was a sound, a sound that he could not make out but it was so loud that he just blanked. Then, it was as if he was being pulled away from his body. There was no other way to describe it.

Then, just like that, he could feel a hot liquid flowing to his hands and being splatted on his face. He could smell the scent of blood. Questions rushed to his head just before he caught sight of that which was before him.

His sword glinting with the little light the place had to offer was covered with blood. His eyes followed it's trail and he became wide-eyed when he saw what it had struck. Eyes filled with tears and a shock look on her face, Izumi stood in the middle – between Shinya and Takuya thus ending up being skewered cleanly and squarely in the heart by Takuya's sowrd.

Blood continued to flow and continued to squirt out of the wound that he had caused. He was shaking as everything sank in. Blood had found itself on his mouth, he felt sick as he tasted the blood of his most precious person. He felt sicker still of what he had just done.

And with that he did what he could only think of doing at the moment. He screamed.

"NOOOooo!" Shouted Takuya as he bolted wide awake, covered with sweat and shaking all over.

It was already dark as night had covered Harim. The battle with Shinya had been over for days and yet, even as Takuya and Izumi had both heard of their explanation and had accepted their company for the time being, also accepting to help them hide the Queen, there was still hesitation in Takuya as well as doubt.

But if there was one emotion that was strong within Takuya at that very moment, it was fear. With that emotion in tow, Takuya got up and quickly made his way to where Izumi was sleeping. The fear of losing his most precious person was so much alive in him that he knew not what else to do.

"Izumi!" Takuya could not stop himself from almost shouting, waking Izumi up.

Izumi was surprised when Takuya suddenly lounged at her, his arms wrapping around her as tightly as they could. She could feel him shaking and was that just sobbing that she could hear from him?

"Takuya?" Izumi asked, worried as she tried to see in the dark. "Takuya, what's wrong."

"I'm sorry." Takuya kept on whispering as he continually shook.

At once Izumi understood what this was all about.

"_He's having those nightmares again."_ She thought as she hugged him back.

Ever since the battle with his brother, Takuya had been frequently visited by nightmares, most of which he confides with her. She could not help but think that it was most likely one of the nightmares of her dying that showed itself in Takuya's subconsciousness.

Izumi could not help but wonder if all these nightmares had something to do with what they have told him that they saw during the battle with Shinya and what Shinya had said to him.

* * *

_Flashback..._

_Shinya was still lying unconscious after having been dealt with by Takuya and Katsuharu's 'Ancient Seal' which managed to separate him from his darkness – the darkness that Luca and the Dragon God of Darkness was feeding him. Currently, the group had followed Anizer, Chief of Harim back to the inn where Anizer had rented two new rooms for them to use, as such, they were in Shinya and Katsuharu's room._

"_Now, we can talk." Anizer said as he made sure that no one could hear what they were about to discuss._

_Takuya was still out of it, his mind was on something else and so it was Izumi who voiced out their first concern._

"_I know I should mind my manners especially in front of the Queen but..." Izumi began. "What the hell are you and HIM doing here? Did you come to make sure both Takuya and myself fall in your father's grasps?"_

_The Queen, Ophania bowed her head in apology for what her husband has wrought, but Katsuharu remained indifferent._

"_You can rest assured that we won't try anything like that.." Katsuharu replied, waving his hand as he spoke. "Besides, I was only teasing in taunting you and Takuya, I had no intention from the very beginning to actually fight you both. To tell the truth, I was just as surprised as you both were to find you here."_

"_Anyways, what the Prince is saying is that it was merely a coincidence that they found you both here, Izumi." Chief Anizer said seeing as Katsuharu was taking his sweet time in explaining._

"_Right." Katsuharu nodded. "Shinya figured that this would be the best place to hide my mother from my father, the Emperor."_

"_Hide her?" Izumi asked, confused. "Why? Did her majesty do something to anger the Emperor?"_

_Queen Ophania shook her head in reply and said, "No. I am not sure of the details but Seraphim – or should I say Luca, apparently needs me for some scheme of his. And whatever that scheme may be, it would not be good. My son, Katsuharu, had been working for his father but at the same time trying to device a plan to make sure that I am liberated from that tower that he had kept me in."_

"_I needed to earn my father's, or should I say Luca's, trust first before I could go about rescuing my mother. That was why I had to do what I did with the Organization." Katsuharu explained as he allowed himself to look over the open window to the direction of where Shore was. "It was all part of my plan to save my mother. It was a small price to pay in order to ensure that the world doesn't fall on Luca's hands... that Luca would not get what he wants."_

_It was with those words that Takuya was snapped from his reverie. Quickly he stood from where he sat and immediately caught Katsuharu by the collar of his shirt._

"_A small price!?" Takuya said, his voice rising in anger and frustration. "Do you honestly believe that what Izumi and the others had to go through by having an amount of their powers extracted was just that? Do you have any idea on how painful that process is!?"_

_Everyone was surprised by Takuya's sudden outburst, although Katsuharu had figured that it was coming sooner or later._

"_Look, I'm sorry, Takuya, but that's just how it is." Katsuharu said whilst trying to free himself. "As compared to having Luca reign over not only our lands but the world, some sacrifices have to be made. Even Lord Orimoto and Lord Kimura understood that."_

"_What did you just say?" Izumi asked upon hearing her father's name._

"_I believe we bear bad news." Queen Ophania intervened, making everyone look over at her direction. A sad look was planted on her face and at once Izumi and Takuya knew that it was indeed bad. "Lord Kouta and Ishige allowed themselves to meet with your father, Takuya. Or so I've been told by Shinya and Katsuharu."_

_With those words, the attention was back to Katsuharu._

"_Spill it." Takuya said as he shook Katsuharu. "I don't care if you're the prince or not nor do I care if I have to punch you around in front of your mother."_

"_You don't need to use threats, Takuya. I have no intention of hiding this, but are you and Lady Izumi really sure you want to hear this?" Katsuharu replied._

_Takuya looked at Izumi who nodded and said, "Yes. I want to know what news it is."_

_Katsuharu nodded and Takuya allowed himself to release his grip on the young prince. At that, Katsuharu told them everything that Shinya had told him, after all, it was Shinya who trully knew what happened thanks to his connection with his father and with the evil spirits that have found themselves in the world._

_The news came as a shock to both Takuya and Izumi. Mixed feelings arouse from within them after learning of Hiroaki's ultimate transformation and the death of Lord Kouta Kimura._

"_What about my father?" Izumi asked. "Do you know?"_

_Katsuharu shook his head. "I'm sorry, but he most likely died along with the General. What with the power of that explosion... it's impossible for anyone to survive."_

"_No...." gasped Izumi as she sunk to the floor in disbelief._

_Takuya had to look away for he did not want to see Izumi so hurt and be unable to do anything about it. He knew he couldn't put the blame on anyone but his father as well as his brother for everything that has been happening and somehow, because of his relation with them, he could not help but blame himself for it as well._

"_I know this may be hard, Izumi." Chief Anizer spoke after a while. "But we have to put aside our grieving for now and focus on something more important."_

"_More...important...?" Takuya could not believe what he had just heard. What could be more important right now than for a daughter to grieve the lost of her father? The only family that Izumi had left?_

_Once again, anger started welling up inside the young Kanbara. It would appear, however, that the Chief noticed it._

"_I am sorry, Takuya, but such is the case." Anizer said. "You do understand, do you not, Izumi?"_

_Izumi nodded but said nothing of it. Anizer then looked from Shinya then to Takuya several times before he spoke again._

"_Takuya, do you honestly cannot remember how you managed to strike down your brother?" Anizer asked._

_Takuya was surprised to learn that this was what Anizer was saying was more important that Izumi's grief. Despite of his surprise and his annoyance, he still gave a reply saying that he indeed could not remember anything._

"_I just blanked out and when I came to he was already out." Takuya replied. "Why is that so important? I did what I was asked to do right?"_

"_But you seemed to have been surprised by it." Katsuharu said as he remembered the look on Takuya's face after the battle. "It's like you didn't expect it to happen."_

_Takuya was surprised. As strange as it may sound, He had forgotten about that feeling. It was also then that he was reminded of what Izumi had said when he asked. Of course, she had not answered him back then as chief Anizer made them go to the inn and talk there._

"_Tell me Takuya, did you experience anything out of the ordinary while you were as you have said, 'out' of it?" Queen Ophania asked._

_Takuya could not understand what the question meant, but he decided to tell her what it was that was happening within him at that moment. He told him about the voice._

"_Voice?" Katsuharu asked, there was a hint of worry in the way he asked the question that made Izumi wonder why. "What voice?"_

"_The voice of my master. The person who taught me how to fight better." Takuya replied, and at once Izumi knew whom he was referring to. "It felt like he was there with me in the battle. He was giving me all of these instructions, reminding me."_

"_What kind of voice was it?" Shinya suddenly asked, surprising everyone._

"_Why do you want to know?" Takuya answered him coldly._

"_Because I feel like I know where Katsuharu is going with this." Shinya replied in just the same tone. He was still lying in his bed, his eyes closed as if he was contemplating on something._

"_Tell him, Takuya." Izumi said, her voice was weak and shaking._

"_It was... commanding in a way." Takuya replied trying to remember what the voice was like. "It sounded very much like how he did when he was teaching us. But at the same time, much more powerful."_

"_Did you felt some sort of tingle?" Shinya asked._

"_I don't know what you're asking, but before I felt like I fainted, I felt as though I was strong and that I could take on anybody." Takuya replied. "Why are you all asking me these questions? Is there something wrong that you need to tell me."_

"_Takuya..." Izumi was the one who speak up seeing that no one else wanted to tell him. "During that battle, on that final stretch when the sorcery on your sword that Katsuharu had added was about to disappear. We... saw something."_

"_Saw something?" Takuya asked. "What? What is it?"_

"_Just before 'you' managed to attack Shinya and activate the seal you were suddenly covered by the same darkness as he was." it was Katsuharu who spoke, retelling the event from his perspective. "Of course, I wasn't too sure of this at first, but after I heard from Izumi that she saw the same thing, I knew I wasn't seeing things."_

"_What are you talking about?" Takuya asked._

"_It is just as Katsuharu says, Takuya." Izumi said. "What's more, the look on your eyes at that time, from where I could see it, was similar to that time when those monsters attacked Shore. It was as if you were in a trance."_

"_You mean to say that this has happened before, Izumi?" Anizer asked, alarmed._

_Izumi nodded seeing as Takuya could vaguely remember the incident – it was either that or he chose not to remember it._

"_Yes, it was soon after Shinya attacked us on our way to Shore." Izumi replied. "Katsuharu was there as well. Don't you remember?"_

_Katsuharu nodded. "Yeah, now that you mention it..."_

"_I don't understand what you're all saying." Takuya spoke up._

"_Takuya, that darkness that we are speaking of is in a form of a dark cloud. It is sort of like an announcement that Luca is around. And if what the prince and Izumi are saying is true then, the voice you heard may not be your master's voice but rather the voice of Luca alluring you." Chief Anizer explained._

"_No, that's not true." Takuya said, his voice rising. "I know what my master's voice is like. Besides which, there is no way that Luca can control me like what your insinuating."_

"_Don't be so naive, little brother." Shinya said, laughing. "The Dark Emperor, Luca has his ways. Although you may think that you did not made a pact with him nor the Dragon God of Darkness, how are you so sure that this so-called 'Master' of yours is not the Dark Emperor in disguise?"_

_Takuya whirled around to face his older brother who was still in bed, eyes closed. He then replied, "Do you want to know his name, brother? Perhaps it would stimulate your memory a bit and let you relive something."_

"_Well, this is certainly interesting." Shinya replied, allowing his eyes to shot open and look at his brother's angry face. "Let's see what you got."_

"_Valthoria." Takuya stated nonchalantly. "That's the name of the person who taught me how to use what latent powers I have – powers that you will never have and that I have been born with."_

_Shinya's eyes widen for a moment as he recalled the name. Takuya was about to enjoy the look on his older brother's face when suddenly, that look of surprise vanished and instead, Shinya began to laugh, his hand on his forehead._

_The reaction was not something that Takuya had expected, and it would appear that it wasn't what the others expected as well. With how Takuya had said it, they expected Shinya to be in fear or in __disbelief. But..._

"_Ah, Valthoria... yes, I remember that old man's name. Of course, I learned of his name and of who he really was much too late." Shinya said as his laughter died down. "Still, how could I not remember? He is after all the one who placed a curse on father and myself._

"_Then why are you laughing?" Takuya asked frustrated._

"_I just find it amusing that you managed to catch a glimpse of him and possibly learn of the secrets he have stored when he no longer exists to begin with." Shinya replied, there was a serious look in his face – something that Takuya and Izumi had never seen before. "Valthoria, Leader of the Dragon Gods. He vanished from this world a long time ago just about the same time as the Dragon God of Darkness, Teivel. You can guess what happened."_

"_That can't be." Izumi said. "We saw him. He cared for us when we were caught by the storm and he was the one who told us what had happened before on that island."_

_Shinya sat up then looked at Izumi. He still held the seriousness that he had before. "Then that person whom you have met is a fake."_

"_How can you be sure?" Takuya asked. "Besides, he knew us both perfectly and he knew everything. It was impossible not to trust him once we got to know him."_

"_And that is where the danger lies." Shinya cut in._

_Takuya was about to argue further when Anizer stopped them. "Enough of this. We know not for certain whether Luca did in fact try to get hold of you, Takuya. But it would be wise to be wary."_

"_The old man's right." Shinya said as he lay down to rest. "Like I've said, Luca has his ways and so does Teivel. They would do anything to get what they want. Lucky for us they have yet to realize that the Queen is here."_

_Katsuharu nodded. "As long as they fail to realize that we have mother, then we have the upper hand."_

"_I still don't buy what you both are saying." Takuya said as he walked pass everyone and towards the door. "I don't buy this whole act that you're trying to be a good person, brother."_

"_Takuya..." sighed Izumi._

_And with that he left the room._

_End of Flashback _

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_

"It's alright, Takuya." Izumi found herself saying to him like a lullaby. "It was just a dream. Everything's alright."

"No... it isn't." Takuya found his voice to say. He then looked at Izumi and faced her. "I can't take it any more. These nightmares are tearing me apart. I can't keep having them over and over again. I can't keep on seeing you killed by my own hands. I can't."

"That's not going to happen, Takuya. It was just a dream. You know that, right?" Izumi said, her voice trying to soothe Takuya who was in turmoil.

"It doesn't feel like that. It feels real, as if they are premonitions of what is to come." Takuya said, bowing his head as if he was ashamed. "What if they are. What if what I am seeing now in my dreams are things that are to happen in the future?"

"You're worried about what Shinya said, aren't you?" Izumi asked though she knew the answer to this already.

"Are you not?" Takuya asked back. "What if what he says is true... that the person we met was not the real Valthoria, what are we supposed to do then? We've come so far because of everything that we've learned from him... what's more, I would be lying if I say that I am not worried."

Izumi sighed, she could not help but think that she would not be getting any proper sleep tonight. She did not mind however, as much as she hated to admit it, she too was having nightmares of her father. She kept telling herself that he was still alive despite what Katsuharu had said, always trying to see the positive side of things.

But she knew that that would have to wait. She have an immediate problem on her hands, particularly, the young man who has burrowed his head on her shoulders for comfort.

"I'm sorry..." Takuya apologized yet again. "I know you have it harder than I do, Izumi.... that you have your own problems right now as well, what with your father and all of that. I know I'm being selfish... but..."

Izumi placed a finger over his lips to shush him as she shook her head.

"It's alright, Takuya." Says she. "You don't have to apologize. You were the one who told me not to apologize excessively, remember?"

"But I..."

"Look, just forget about everything that's troubling you at the moment and rest." Izumi finally said with finality. "No matter what happens you will always be Takuya and no amount of dark or evil powers or intention is ever going to change that. What Shinya said is only just speculation, it's true that we are not sure just who it was that we actually met on that island and until we do, we should leave it at that. I know you Takuya, you won't be turning into an evil person any time soon. If you're really worried about it, then talk with Shinya. I doubt he'll be trying anything funny after what just happened."

"Talk with... Shinya?" Takuya asked, taken aback by Izumi's suggestion.

"I know it doesn't sound inviting, Takuya, I can't even believe that I'm the one telling you this, but you know that he is the only one who can possibly answer your questions." Izumi said. "I have a feeling that he knows a lot more than he is letting us know."

* * *

It was just about dawn and yet he was already wide awake. He loved the crisp cold air that the dawn is only capable of bringing. For him, the dawn was always so welcoming and so relaxing. The view of Harim's peak was also something not short of awe-inspiring. The wonderful scene before him enable him to clear his mind – something that Katsuharu had, since learning of his secret, constantly told him to do.

A growl from his Spirit Guardian enabled him to snap out of his thoughts. Ever since Flayhme's transformation, it was only up to him to understand what he has to say.

"Yes, it has been a while since we've last been here and since we've been in good terms with the people of this village, hasn't it?" Shinya agreed with what Flayhme said.

Another growl from the Spirit Guardian came as a reply. Whatever it was that Flayhme said to his master was enough to make Shinya laugh. It was the first time in a long time that he was able to laugh that way, and perhaps he is able to do so only around his Spirit Guardian.

However, the laughter soon vanished when Flayhme suddenly let out an angry growl. At once, Shinya knew that he was no longer alone. Allowing his reflex to take action, Shinya threw a fire attack at the direction where he heard the noise from.

The moment that the attack was thrown back at him, Shinya immediately knew who it was.

"What the hell was that for!?" An obvious thing for Takuya to say as he emerged from the thicket.

"Well, well, I didn't think I'd find you here, little brother." Shinya said a grin on his face as he dissipated the flame attack that was thrown back at him.

"Stop calling me that!" Takuya said, his voice rising. He couldn't help but be annoyed whenever he comes face to face with Shinya, who was still wearing his face.

"Why? You ARE my little brother after all, it's only right to call you that." Shinya said as he turned around to face the scene beyond the mountains.

"I'm not!" Takuya retorted. "Besides, I didn't come here to fight with you – verbally or physically."

"Oh? Well, that's even more of a surprise." Shinya said, his back still turned. After a minute of silence he turned around and asked, "So, why is it that you came here? Did you came here to look at the view as well? If I remember it right, you and Izumi love this place and its view, do you not?"

"I didn't come here for the view... at least not right now." Takuya replied, his eyes trailing, following the view of the mountain side.

"Why did you came here then?" Shinya asked, his voice reverted back to being serious.

Takuya made sure not to look at his older brother as he answered, "I.... I came here looking for you. There's something that I want to ask you..."

"Well, that certainly is unexpected." Shinya said, he did not bother to hide the amusement in his face as he turned to face Takuya and walk towards him, only stopping midway and sitting down by a large rock overlooking the peak. "I doubt you came here to talk about the old days... So, what is it you want to ask me?"

Shinya could note the hesitation in Takuya as well as the turmoil. He could only guess but he had a feeling he knew what he was going to ask him.

A minute has passed and it would appear like Takuya was about to change his mind, thinking that this perhaps was a stupid idea.

Sighing in frustration, it was Shinya who spoke up about the matter.

"If you're worried about what I told you yesterday, then you have all the right in the world to be." Shinya said, for a moment, Takuya felt like he was looking at himself through a mirror. "I don't know if it was really Valthoria whom you and Izumi both saw, it could be his spirit or it could be one of Luca's ploys to turn you to his side. Like I've said, it's best to be wary."

"How can you be sure that Valthoria was gone long before we met him?" Takuya finally found his voice to query.

"I've been a part of Teivel for a long time to know a thing or two about the Dragon God of Darkness." Shinya said, there was a hint of sadness in his voice. "I've learned of things that would seem impossible or even probable to some."

"I... I still don't understand. Why did you throw away everything, brother?" Takuya finally opened up. "Why didn't you just turned back when Valthoria warned you and father?"

Shinya smiled sadly as he recalled that moment all too well. "When you experience what I have experienced growing up. Being known throughout as one of the most powerful and promising Knights of the Kingdom, it would be impossible not to yearn for more."

"You disregarded everything just for power?" Takuya could not believe it. Since he was a child he had looked up to his brother, he could remember that very well now. "And what's more you allowed an evil such as Luca and this Teivel to control you... even when I know that, I still find it hard to believe that you are indeed my brother."

"And what makes you believe that you are any different from me, little brother?" Shinya asked. "You too yearn for power just like I do, you cannot lie about that."

"But I wouldn't go so low as you did. If I were a Chosen One and if I had been in that position as you had been in, I would have stayed true to my responsibility as a Chosen One." Takuya answered.

"It's easy to say that now but when you're actually in that predicament, you will find that that is not always the case." Shinya replied, remaining cool on the matter. "It's hard not to see you making the same choice as I did."

"I won't." Takuya said, although for a second, Shinya thought there was uncertainty in the way he told him that.

"I just hope that I am wrong about you, little brother." Shinya said as he looked at Takuya squarely in the eyes. "It may be hard to believe but I do regret how things have come to."

"I don't believe you, you enjoy this. You enjoy everything that has been happening. I can see that." Takuya said not wanting to accept that such regrets exist within the person he once thought was his brother.

Shinya shrugged, what Takuya was saying to him was something that he had expected to hear from him.

"I thought you came here to ask me a question and not to argue with me." Shinya said.

"I did." Replied Takuya.

"I have thought you more courageous than this." Shinya said, "Spill your question out already."

Takuya closed his eyes, he knew it would have to come eventually and wanting not to waste any more time he did just that – he asked his question.

"Is there a way for me to know if I am indeed wanted by the Dark Emperor and the Dragon God of Darkness?" Takuya asked.

"Do you really want to know?" Shinya asked as he stood up and walked closer to Takuya. "Once you learn of it, what would follow would be hardship whether the answer is a positive or a negative one."

Takuya nodded, remaining indignant.

"If you're sure about it, then it would be best to go to the place where the prophecy had been carved out." Shinya replied, almost in a riddle.

"The place where the prophecy had been carved out?" Takuya repeated not sure what to get from that.

"Mirror Valley." Shinya said, then added. "I'm sure you've heard of that place, little brother. It is not too far from here after all."

"You mean the Valley of the Mist?" Takuya asked, obviously knowing of the place that Shinya was talking about.

Shinya nodded. "It's a dangerous place, especially for you. Are you sure you want to go there?"

"I need to... if I want the nightmares to stop." Takuya replied.

"I guess this would add as another side trip for you and Izumi, am I right?" Shinya said as he was already face to face with his brother. "I heard from the Chieftain that you were looking for mother... I didn't even know that she was still alive."

Takuya had to take a step back upon hearing those words from Shinya.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything to hinder what you want to do." Shinya said. "I'm sure it would be easier on our mother to believe that I am already dead than to learn everything that I had been doing."

Takuya nodded.

"Is that all?" Shinya asked.

Takuya simply turned around, and just before he returned back to the path that he had been on previously to return back to the inn where Izumi was waiting for him, he said, "Just one other thing, brother. I won't lose my humanity but, try anything funny with Izumi – try to hurt her or betray us, then I will care less if I turn into a beast to make you pay."

Shinya laughed. "The way you said that, I'm beginning to stand even firmer on my grounds that you are already being manipulated by Teivel, little brother." Then he added, just before Takuya vanished through the thicket, "And one more thing, Takuya, we are more alike than you thought. We are bound not only by blood but also because of that event on the ship towards shore."

Takuya turned around, "What do you mean?"

But Shinya was no longer there, he had, as it appears, teleported himself back to the village leaving Takuya alone to ponder what he had just learned and to walk back by himself.

* * *

Yes, now was the time to have her revenge. Everything was set. Her brother was now fully recovered...

"All that is left is for us to find Takuya and Izumi and make them pay, brother." Chiaki said as she and her brother boarded a ship given to them by the Emperor. "But of course, we shouldn't forget those bastards that gave us a hard time last time, am I right?"

A growl was all her brother could answer her, but for Chiaki Minami, Chosen One of the Water, that was enough of an affirmation from him.

Yes, now was the time for revenge... And this time, she will make sure that she gets what she wants no matter what.

* * *

**To be continued...**

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**Post Author's Notes:**

Well, that's about all that I have to offer for this week's chapter. I hope you guys appreciate the length and I do apologize for not having been able to update last week. Things have just been pretty hectic for me.

Anyways, stay tuned next week for another chapter update. Of course, be sure to check at the blog whether I would really be pushing through the update or not, plus some other things including updates on the game. I usually post there first before I update a chapter, so it would save you the trouble of checking on the fanfic every time (unless you've added me to your author's alert or the fanfic to the story alert list).

Well, that's all for now. Until next week, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**

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	55. The Valley of Mist & the Mirror of Truth

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes:**

Well, it certainly has been a very, very long while, hasn't it? I can't even recall when was the last time I've updated here in FFN. Anyways, I will spare you guys the excuse as I know how the lot of you are anticipating this chapter. Just be sure to read the Post Author's Notes later, okay?

With that said, I present the latest RotM chapter. Enjoy!

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Valley of the Mist and the Mirror of Truth**

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She stood there in front of him. Her lips showed a smile but in her eyes there was nothing but worry and sadness. She didn't know why she was feeling that way. She knew that their journey would be a short one and that she had nothing to worry about even when he faces an enemy's sudden appearance for he was not going on this short trip alone. No. His older brother, who at the moment was his mirror-image, would be tagging along with him.

Despite how much she reassured herself however, Izumi Orimoto could not shake that intense feeling of worry in her heart. Of course, she tried to hide this worry from those around her as she knew that Takuya needed not to think about anything else at the moment save proving to himself and erasing his doubts of himself.

Takuya Kanbara was being his usual self, however. Of course, that's only a facade that he is trying to pull as everyone knew what he must truly be feeling inside – worry.

"I guess we'd better head off now." Takuya said as he looked back towards his companion who was already seemingly bored. "I don't want Shinya to change his mind about coming with me..."

"I agree." Katsuharu said. There was no hint of a joke in his reply as he knows full well that Shinya does have a tendency to suddenly change his mind and leave without warning. "Don't worry too much about it, though, Takuya."

"R-right." Takuya replied with a fake grin. He then looked over at Izumi and said, "I'll be back soon."

Izumi nodded. "Be careful out there."

Takuya nodded back.

It seems, however, that Shinya heard Izumi's words as he suddenly said, "You don't have to worry about him. Mirror Valley is not too far from here and there aren't anything dangerous along the way that we won't be able to take care of."

Shinya's sudden interruption caused everyone to look at him with a strange look of surprise in their faces, which, in turn, caused him to ask: "What?"

"Oh, it's nothing Shinya." Katsuharu was the one who replied in a casual manner. He knew that what he was about to say would earn him Shinya's 'stare of death' but he decided to continue on with what he was to say anyway. "We're just surprised to hear you say that. Usually you'll just reply with a 'hmph', or with anything that would end a conversation. I suppose being back here with your head cleared up is transforming you – one way or another."

Sure enough, even with a flushed face that only Katsuharu could notice, Shinya was glaring daggers at him.

"Let's just go." Shinya ended up saying whilst turning around.

"R-right." Takuya said and looking at Katsuharu, he was about to say something but Katsuharu cut him off.

"Don't worry. I'll keep her safe. I promise." Katsuharu said.

Takuya nodded, turned his back and began running after his brother who was already walking away from them leaving Izumi and Katsuharu to watch their silhouettes vanish from the distance.

Even when the two were already out of sight, Izumi remained where she was at with Katsuharu by her side. Being as observant as he is, Katsuharu immediately read Izumi's mind.

"Don't worry about those two." Katsuharu said as he turned around and began heading back to the inn, "Even though Shinya is still having a hard time adjusting and expressing himself... and though he didn't look like it... he meant what he said."

This caught Izumi off-guard and she turned around to face Katsuharu. Katsuharu, sensing her movement, stopped walking and said. "He will make sure that Takuya returns here unharmed. He owes that much."

And with that said, Katsuharu continued on walking. Izumi stayed there for a little while longer. Somehow, despite having the worry in her heart, she felt that she could believe in Katsuharu and Shinya's words. With one last look at at the path that the brothers thread, Izumi turned around and decided to do a little bit of training to pass time as it was the perfect day to do so.

* * *

Anticipation was building up inside of her. Fist clenched with a deranged look on her face she wanted nothing more than revenge and she could feel that she would be getting it soon.

She swayed her right arm down and as she did so, a blade made entirely of water materialized. And though it was made with that kind of material, one could see that it was quite sharp and capable of cutting someone's head of completely and cleanly.

She then raised her arm back up, just enough that her eyes would be seen through the water-blade attached to it. In her eyes there seemed to be no trace of human emotion only anger and malice. It was hard to associate this person to the woman that was once known as Chiaki Minami. But, there was no mistaking it. It was one and the same person.

"Tell me brother, whom would you like to take on?" Chiaki asked as they arrived at the crossroad of their journey on board the Empire's Durandal Airship.

What came as an answer was nothing near a human's speech. It was even impossible to say that it was a human producing those sounds. It was easy to see why, however, as the 'person' whom Chiaki referred to as her brother, Terrou Minami, for he seemed more like a mindless Cyborg than anything else.

"Then I suppose we really do need to split up." She said with a fake sigh. "Oh well, I suppose we should as this would please the Emperor and make our work that much quicker."

Another growl followed by all sorts of guttural sounds was only reply that Terrou gave to her before she began to walk away to board the small aircraft that was ready to take flight. Just before her aircraft closed, though, she said, "Remember brother, hold back on your strength but just a little. But if you really can't do that then, I don't mind if you rip them to shreds or even destroy a whole city in the process. Just be sure to do away with them."

* * *

Ishige Orimoto was beginning to feel much better. His wounds were healing, albeit slowly. However, despite returning to his physically fit-self, he still felt anguish for the lost of his mentor and old friend. He hoped that the sacrifice that the general had made would not be in vain, however, something in the back of his mind was nagging him, telling him not to let his guard down.

He had been a soldier for as long as he can remember. He tried his best to live up to the expectations of the people around him and most especially, the expectations of his former master. He wanted nothing more but to hear his approval... however, he did not wish to hear it in such a form as a last goodbye.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Kouji suddenly came knocking at his door. Of course, Kouji did not wait long before Ishige allowed him to enter.

"What is it, Kouji? Is there something you need from me?" Ishige asked. Ever since the incident of the general's death, Ishige had been a bit nicer... well, he was already nice before, but he became more and more of a father figure and a guide to both Kouji and Kouichi. Listening to them and understanding them and even giving them advice when they need it.

"Sorry to bother you so early in the morning, sir." Kouji said as he sat down on the empty chair opposite to the former commander, "I just came to deliver some news... It's a bit sudden but it seems that one of our spies caught sight of Lady Izumi and Lord Takuya a couple of days ago. The person who saw them is currently downstairs awaiting you, sir."

A sudden look of surprise surfaced in Ishige's face but it soon disappeared as soon as it did appear that Kouji wasn't sure if he really did see it in the first place. Then, Ishige Orimoto simply smiled and shook his head.

This surprised Kouji as he figured that his former senior officer would immediately rush over to where the spy who reported seeing Izumi and Takuya was waiting.

"I don't understand, Lord Ishige... aren't you going to listen to what the spy would say?" Kouji asked. It was obvious that he was confused at Ishige's decision.

"When I told Takuya to take my daughter and escape, I did not ask them where they plan on going or ask them to contact me and tell me where they are when they finally do manage to find a place to hide for the time being. Do you know why, Kouji?" Ishige asked as he looked over and outside his bedroom's window.

"I don't know, sir." Kouji merely replied as he followed Ishige's gaze out of the window.

"Because I want them to be safe." Ishige knew that Kouji would be surprised by his answer and would be confused by it, and so he continued to talk. "There may be a chance that some of us will end up being captured by the enemy or forced into telling things that we otherwise would not wish them to know. By severing any communication and any way of learning where those two are currently at, we are protecting them – the only Chosen Ones left who can combat this growing threat with their full power."

"I see..." Kouji muttered, then asked. "Then what about that spy? What am I suppose to tell that person?"

"Tell him exactly what I told you." Ishige replied. His tone was one filled with finality and Kouji knew it best not to go against what he was told by him.

Just before Kouji left however, Ishige said, "Can you feel it? An ominous atmosphere in the air."

Kouji shook his head and replied, "I can't feel anything, Lord Ishige. Are you sure you're feeling alright already?"

Ishige shook his head and said, "Hmm... then maybe it is just my imagination... But, don't let your guard down, Kouji...."

"Yes, of course." And with that Kouji left the room leaving Ishige to think for himself.

* * *

"That's all he said?" Terrou asked as Kouji told them what Ishige had said. "He didn't even want to tell the spy himself of that?"

Kouji shook his head. "No. It seems that the Commander...err... I mean, Lord Ishige, has a lot on his mind right now. To tell you guys the truth, he said something strange just before I left..."

"Something strange?" Kouichi asked.

"Yeah." Replied Kouji. "He asked if I could feel an ominous atmosphere in the air. Of course I told him that I didn't but then he said that it might just be his imagination and told me to be careful. I know it doesn't sound strange when I'm the one retelling all of this but... the look in his eyes... I can tell that he wanted to say more but was hesitating."

The three were talking in the tea room after Kouji had returned to the spy and told him to stop following Izumi and Takuya, and to not tell anyone that he had seen them. This has been a regular happening in the small house that the group had acquired while staying in Fortsview – a few miles from where the entire rebel forces was set to meet for their march towards the capital and to war.

"Do you think that it might have something to do with your grandfather?" Terrou asked.

"I doubt it." Kouichi was the one who replied. His hand under his chin, thinking. "Lord Ishige has not hidden anything from us when it came to our grandfather. I don't think he has any ill intentions with his actions. Do you, Kouji?"

Kouji said 'No'. The three continued to think, throwing theories after theories, guesses after guesses of what Ishige had wanted to say but couldn't say. It was only after an hour has passed that the door to the tea room opened to reveal the Leader of the Organization, Yuriko.

"What are you all doing here?" She asked, surprised to see the entourage all together in the tea room. "I had thought that all of you were busy with training or something of that sort."

"Oh, sorry about that, Leader." Terrou said, standing up from where he sat. "Are you going to use this room for a conference?"

The Leader shook her head. "No. I simply came here to rest and relax for a while. Now, may I ask what you are all doing inside?" Terrou looked at Junpei who looked at Tomoki who then looked at Kouji, who in turn looked over at his twin brother. When none spoke after her query was asked, she added, "Is this something so secret that I cannot even know what it is?"

"It's not that, Leader." Tomoki was the one who spoke. "It's just that... we're unsure on how to speak of it."

Yuriko could guess what it was about and she let them in on her guess as she sat on a vacant seat just beside Tomoki. "Then speak to me casually about it. I am guessing that it has something to do with that messenger... or should I say, spy that came today. Am I correct?"

The silence that came after her guess was enough of an affirmation from the group.

"The messenger reported something that we thought would peak the interest of the Commander...err... I mean, Lord Ishige... However..." Kouji spoke after a short while.

"I am sure that Lord Ishige has his reasons." Yuriko said.

"Yes, but... we don't understand that reason very well, Leader." Junpei said. "Especially since he did not wish to talk with the spy...even though it had something to do with Lady Izumi and Lord Takuya's whereabouts."

Yuriko closed her eyes in contemplation, and opened them a while later as she said, "I am sure you have heard the reason from Lord Ishige... and I am sure that it isn't true what you say that you do not understand his reasons for not wanting to talk to the messenger and why he had asked you, Kouji to send the messenger off and tell him to forget that he saw Izumi and Takuya..."

The surprised look on the faces of the people around her amused the Leader of the Organization very much, and she awaited the question that was obviously in the minds of these people.

"H-how did you know about that, Leader?" Kouichi asked.

"Just because I may seem so busy with the preparations for the upcoming battle against the Emperor's men doesn't mean that I am oblivious to things that are happening inside my own organization, Kouichi. Apart from that, Ishige talked to me about it as well." The Leader explained. "Thus, I also know what the messenger knew and what he wanted to say."

"Then, you also agree with Lord Ishige turning the messenger away?" Terrou asked.

Yuriko was silent for a while as the thought of her son entered her mind. However, she said nothing about Takuya. It was still one of the secrets that only she and Ishige knew about and it was not time yet to tell the others of it. Yes, if there was someone who need to know first about her relationship with Takuya, it would have to be Takuya himself first.

And so, Yuriko Kanbara's reply was one that was from the Leader of the Organization and not as Takuya Kanbara's mother.

"For the sake of the safety of those two... and the future that we are all trying to protect from the Emperor... Yes, I do believe that Lord Ishige made the right decision." Was Yuriko's reply. "Since Izumi is the only one left whose powers were not taken by the Emperor, her whereabouts should remain unknown for us whom the Emperor would feel should know of it... Also... you should know very well that Lord Ishige is having a battle with himself on this matter as well... He is as worried of the two as you all are, however... he chose to look at the much bigger picture."

"Yes... of course..." Kouji sighed. "Then I suppose we should all do our best on our part as well."

Yuriko nodded and smiled.

* * *

Hours have passed since they have left Harim and it would seem that they were doing well as no monsters or even any wild animals have come to face them making their journey easier and their pace faster.

Of course, throughout the journey to Mirror Valley, an eerie silence had befallen them. Neither spoke a word unless needed. Either it was because none of them want to talk to the other or because neither knew what to say or what to talk about.

Takuya's mind was restless as he wondered what he would see in the valley. He hoped it would be something good and not something ominous.

"_But knowing my luck..."_ Takuya thought to himself, before his thoughts were cut off by Shinya suddenly talking to him.

"We're almost there." Shinya said.

"R-right." Was all Takuya could think of saying.

Shinya took a glimpse at Takuya and he could easily see the worried look on his face. '_"It's that same stupid look on his face ever since we left Harim. It's getting annoying just looking at him..." _Shinya thought to himself.

It felt like he was looking at a very different person... as compared to the Takuya that had always faced him head on in battle – strong, confident and resilient. There was a part in Shinya that could care less on Takuya's transformation but another part was worried of him – the larger part, the part of him that still thinks of Takuya as his younger brother.

It was that part of Shinya's personality that made him wonder if it was the right thing bringing Takuya to the Mirror Valley. It was that part of him that questioned if what he knows was right or if it was another illusion.

It was this flow of thought that remained in Shinya's mind up to the point where they have finally arrived at the Mirror Valley.

There isn't much to say in terms of the geography of the valley except that it was a vary large valley covered in thick fog, as if the fog was made as a defense mechanism to those who wish to trespass and to those who wish to use the power of the valley for their own selfish desires.

Knowing that it would not help to have their heads in the clouds, wandering off to who knows where – Shinya composed himself and told Takuya to be wary of anything that would lurk behind the curtain of the fog.

It would seem that the further they go in the valley, the thicker the fog got. As if the whole valley was warning them to turn back. Not heading the warnings being given out by the valley, the pair continued on their way. Deeper and deeper they went.

Takuya thought that the fog could not get any thicker, but he was wrong. It came to the point where he was so unsure of where he was going and that all he could see was the whiteness of the whole fog covered area, and had it not been for Shinya's help, he would certainly had gotten lost.

Takuya wondered how Shinya could know the way around the valley. He wanted to ask him about it but decided to keep quiet instead.

After what feels like hours upon hours worth of hiking through the unknown, Takuya and Shinya both found themselves in the ruins of a temple. And in the middle of the ruins stood a fountain that had water gushing out of it.

For Takuya, it was a surprise to see the fountain still working and when he looked at Shinya to see if he was astonished as well, he saw a contemplative look on his face.

"We're here." Shinya said after a while. "I am not sure if you remember but... that fountain over there is the Mirror that made Mist Valley earn it's name as 'Mirror Valley'. That is where the prophecy was carved out."

"Does that mean we can read what the prophecy states?" Takuya asked.

Shinya shook his head. "If it had been about fifteen years ago, then it would still have been possible to read the prophecy in the Mirror. However, since my last visit, the prophecy carved in the mirror had disappeared."

"Disappeared? What do you mean by that?" Takuya asked. He found it impossible for something to disappear just like what his brother had said.

"It's as I say. You won't be able to read it anymore. It's gone. There are no traces of the prophecy in its written form. However, I can still remember what it said... after all, I used to visit here with father and he would tell me about it and about being a Chosen One."

Takuya remained silent as he did not know what to say to it. Shinya took this opportunity to recite what he remembered of the prophecy:

_Yet to return the shadowed one  
who quests for the Twilight Dragon  
Rumbles the Dark Hearth  
And when the Dark has finally raised his army  
the King of Light beckons._

_At the base of the rainbow they meet  
Against an abominable wave,_

_together they fight._

_When the "Naur Huine" rages the land_

_Light's great tree doth fall._

_Power – now all to droplets turned_

_in the temple of "Hith Nan"._

_Like a frenzied horse that is driven._

_An unseen wind of plague shrieks across the border._

_Pandemonium, wailing, and stench of carnage fills the air._

_There is no place to run. No hope of escape._

_Those who are mourned will never return._

_The hands of time cannot be turned back_

_for those who quests for the Twilight Dragon._

"What does that all mean?" Takuya wondered out loud for to him, all that he had heard was just a jumble of words – a riddle that seemed so hard to understand.

"I don't know... and I don't think I would like to be bothered by it." Shinya replied coldly. "It has nothing to do with us anyway. We came here for the riddle that is currently in your heart and not one that has long been written and long have disappeared."

Takuya did not know what else to say and so he just gave up on the idea of knowing what his so-called brother had just narrated to him. And with a questioning gaze, he faced Shinya as if asking what he should do now that they are only a couple of feet away from the Mirror of Truth.

"Just look at the mirror. The spirits will reflect who you truly are inside." Shinya instructed him. "Who knows, they may even be kind enough to show you your future..."

"They can do that?" Takuya was so surprised by it that he almost exclaimed the question.

"So I've been told... as for whether or not that is true is another matter entirely." Shinya replied. "Enough of this chatter. Hurry up and do what you need to do so that we can return to Harim immediately."

"R-right." Takuya replied. And we that, he moved towards where the fountain and the mirror was. His heart pounding and his head full of questions.

* * *

The fog was not a hindrance to her, after all, it was nothing more than another form of water – something she can control, something that was a weapon for her.

She thought of herself as fortunate for having quickly spotted her target. Albeit she could have only wished that she was with him. However, the surprise of having found the clone working along with the real Takuya was not as overwhelming as one could have thought. She had, after all, figured that the clone would turn on them eventually.

But she could care less. It just added another excuse for her should the great General Kanbara question her actions. "_All I would need to say is that his prized clone was planning on betraying them and I merely caught him in action and gave him the punishment that he deserves."_

She could have easily ambushed them, though. But Chiaki Minami decided not to as her curiosity as to what those two were doing at such a place and of what they were talking about increased. And so, she decided to wait and listen in to their conversation.

As she was close to them without them realizing it, she was able to hear almost everything that they were saying. Chiaki was confused as to what one of the Takuyas meant by 'riddle in your heart', and so she still continued to watch as the Takuya who questioned the other one walked towards the center of the ruins where the fountain was. The other Takuya, as she saw it, stood behind him. She could see that his gaze was so intent and his face was serious. The other one, on the other hand however, seemed worried of something.

She watched and readied herself to make the first move to attack. She could feel it – call it woman's intuition or instinct, her preys were starting to let their guard down. And still, as she waited she continued to listen in to their conversation.

* * *

**To be continued...**

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* * *

  
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**  
Post Author's Notes:**

Well, it wasn't the longest chapter that I'd hope it would be. Anyways, I do apologize for not updating as frequently as I should but, as you can see, things are a bit different now as I have graduated and have a lot of more important responsibilities I need to accomplish. But, that does not mean that I won't try to update since I still see this as my responsibility as well as my desire to continue writing.

Anyhow, that little bit of prophecy will come in handy in the future. And for those wondering, that prophecy's history will be tackled on in another chapter. Of course, it is also part of the trilogy of games that I am making.

With that said, I do hope you all enjoyed reading this and hope that it isn't too confusing. The next chapter will deal more on Kouji's group and it would probably take about two chapters before we resume with Takuya's part of the story.

Well, that's all for now, folks. Be sure to review this chapter if you haven't already as I do wish to hear your thoughts about it. I wish I could say more but there are still a lot of things for work that I need to accomplish. And so, on that note, I bid you all goodbye for now and hopefully you all can read another chapter by Monday as I would be in Manila on Saturday.

Oh well, Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**

* * *


	56. The Fang That Wants Blood

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

**Author's Notes:**

Well, the reviews that I got from the recent chapter weren't as many as I would have liked nor were it as many as from what I got in the last couple of chapters. Well, I can understand as to why, after all, not everyone has enough free time to review all the chapters that they have read or maybe because some of the reviewers from the past chapters have yet to read the previous ones. Oh well, that is part of it all, lol.

Anyways, here is the continuation of the previous chapter. I hope you guys like it.

**End of Author's Notes**

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Fang That Wants Blood**

A Day has passed since the messenger-slash-spy arrived at the newly organized base that they were staying in. If one were to look at how things stand now and how things stood a year ago, the difference that they would find would be staggering. Back then, we, from the Organization would usually only concern ourselves with training and with doing small reconnaissance missions for the Queen, of whom we have sworn to serve. But, now, it would seem that those of us who remained loyal to the Queen and to our sworn oath would find ourselves facing all that we have been trained to face.

Don't get me wrong though. I am not complaining about it. Despite the fact that the morale of those who are with us in this battle are deteriorating thanks to our recent defeat at the battle near Fortgeese, my faith on the Leader and on what the Queen had wanted and planned for still stands unwavering.

Maybe this is what you call 'following blindly' but I can assure you that I have my own reasons – reasons of which should be left out for another day.

The day's weather isn't as pleasant as the one yesterday or the day before. The cold north wind blows sending a chilly sensation up my spine as I know it would have sent the same sensation to everyone around here as well.

It would appear that here at the once proud city of Gwyneria, it is common for the weather to change so drastically over night. Although for us who have never been here, it was so cold that if felt like the whole world would get neatly chipped up with some nice crisp cracks if it were poked with an ice pick. Or better yet, I would lead the pack to chip this freaking cold place up.

Nevertheless, it was natural to be cold; until a few days ago, it had been so terribly hot. Then, just as the clock stroked midnight, the weather chilled rapidly as if Mother Nature finally remembered, and now I experienced with this body of mine a place that had not much care on seasons as the rest of this world does.

But enough about my thoughts on this weird weather that Gwyneria has. Compared to how we have heard this place was in the past, it was better that we did arrive at the Gwyneria that is now known to us – although, if people were to hear me voice that little thought of mine over here, then I would surely have a need to run for my life despite being one of the acclaimed 'Chosen Ones'. Though, to be honest, I am sick and tired of all these running. I find myself questioning on why we should run when the last I heard we were going to fight the Emperor's minions and get revenge for General Kimura's sake.

I was thinking of all of these things whilst I debated on whether to get off of my bed or remain here for some more minutes. I doubt that we'd be doing anything interesting with this kind of weather that we have at the moment.

If Katsuharu and Chiaki were still here, a part of this team, then I am sure they could have arranged for something interesting to do. However, that is not the case.

How long has it been since those two betrayed us? It seemed that long ago... well, maybe because it has been that long but, it still feels surreal. I have known them at such a young age, and like the Leader, I find it hard to believe still that they were capable of betraying us. But, after hearing of Chiaki's history, I don't know what to believe already.

"How long are you just going to lie there?" spoke a familiar voice as Enki, my Guardian Spirit appeared before me.

It had been a long time since I was able to communicate with my Guardian Spirit, all thanks to that little extraction process that me, and the others have underwent. Although, I was still able to see Enki in my dreams, he has been unable to materialize and speak to me whilst I am awake... well, that was until now, which only proves that we have been returning to our old selves little by little.

"Hey, what's wrong with relaxing a little?" I asked back.

"Your skills are going to wane if you keep this up any longer, you know." Enki told me, and I find what he said to be true. But, under the current circumstance, I would prefer to just take things slowly for the day.

"So, you're just going to be lazy the whole day? You know you could use that time to train your control. It's been a while since you used any of your power as a Chosen One." That was the stern reply I got from my Guardian Spirit. It was so typical of Enki to say those things. I don't know much about the other Guardian Spirits but, I doubt that they nag as much as this guy.

But, it is true that with the rate I'm going, I would certainly fall behind the others. Their Guardian Spirits returned earlier than when Enki returned to me which only proves that I have already fallen behind. As to how much, I don't really know. But, one thing is for sure... I don't plan on becoming the weak link. I could just imagine Takuya's smug look on his face when he returns and finds out about my lack of practice.

No one knows this except for me and Enki but, Takuya had been sort of a rival for me ever since we saved him back when he was taken captive by his own father and was forced into the extraction process even before we knew there was such a thing.

I was considered as one of the stronger ones in the Organization next in line to Katsuharu but, when Takuya came and he was assigned to our team, that all changed. Everyone was wowed by how strong he is although, he didn't even bother showing off his powers as a Chosen One. His swordsmanship alone was enough to inspire those who were rookies in the Organization. Not only that but, I don't know if I should say it...but... the Leader seem to think highly of him as well. The way the Leader acts with him concerned is a bit different from how she acts towards others. I don't know if that is just my imagination or if the Leader knows something about him that she isn't telling us. Though, I don't plan on asking the Leader that any time soon.

Having realized that I have been in my reverie for a long time, lying on my bed, I decided to stand up and do a bit of stretching – something that Enki approved of.

It took a while for my body to be warmed up thanks to the cold weather but after all of that stretching, I decided to go and meet with the others to check up what they could be up to. Of course, not before I got dressed up. Still not being able to remain in his tangible form, Enki had to disappear just before I met with the others who were all gathered together in the foyer.

"Hey!" Junpei greeted me as I walked towards them. They were all wearing long, fur overcoats to keep their body warm. Though I wondered why they would need to wear something like that when they are just inside the house. Of course, I didn't blurt out my query but instead greeted Junpei back with a 'Hey!' as well.

"We were wondering how long you were going to stay bottled up in your room, Teppei." Tomoki said with a bright smile on his face – a smile that many a girl his age would probably fall over and think would be able to melt this freezing city back into spring or summer.

"I am more concerned as to what you are doing all cheerful under such a weather as this." I replied to Tomoki in particular.

"What's wrong with the weather? It's great isn't it? I love snow!" A typical reply from one who has the power over ice. But someone like me who prefers the spring days to the winter ones are meant to wonder just what is up with this kid and snow. But thinking back on that thought, it makes me sound like an old man or something.

And if that wasn't enough of a statement from Tomoki, even Junpei seemed to agree with the young Chosen One of Ice.

"So you guys decided to play under the snow, then?" I finally let out my question, more or less.

"Not really." It was the ever so calm and collected Kouji who replied. "We were planning on heading out to the forest at the back of this place to train. Want to come along?"

I was tempted to ask them why the hell they plan on doing that with the snow piling up outside and the very, very cold wind blowing over our heads.

But, even before I could ask, Kouichi seemed to have read my mind and said, "We can't relax for even a moment, after all. We figured, instead of wasting our time lying around, we should all go on ahead and train to become stronger. We have to do our part since Takuya and Lady Izumi seem to be doing theirs as well."

I could easily hear the snickering of Enki as those words escaped Kouichi's mouth. I could also almost hear him say 'I told you so...', which he is probably saying and which I am probably hearing in reality.

All I could reply to what they said was a pathetic 'Oh, I see.'. I mean, come on, what else can I say?

Okay, so maybe there are a lot more other replies I could have given them but, honestly, I am really not in any mood to go out to the forest in this freakishly cold weather and train my butt of. No thanks, for that!

Of course, I couldn't blurt all that out to them. So, I merely gave them an apologetic reply saying how sorry I am for not being able to go with them as I have my own business to attend to. It was really an excuse more than anything else which I was getting mentally kicked at by none other than my Guardian Spirit.

After watching the lot of them exit the foyer and head to the path leading to the woods, I turned my back and proceeded to walk to the other direction. It was the direction of where Lady Izumi's father, Lord Ishige, was found by Kouji crashing down – the Atrium.

I looked up at the glazed roof of the atrium allowing myself the liberty of watching the snow flakes fall as I wonder what's makes both Junpei and Tomoki giddy about it. I mean, the only people I know who feel that way are children... maybe I don't know a lot of people if I were the only one who hates this cold weather and the snow that comes along with it.

Before I knew it, Enki was already in front of me. He was in a foul mood and I swear I could have seen veins popping out of his head out of anger and annoyance. It was no secret as to why he was angry. It was blatantly obvious that it was because I did not take up the offer to train with the others. Enki can be a slave driver when it comes to that.

"What's wrong with you!" Enki asked, his beastly face was a few inches from mine. "They were practically asking you to train with them, you idiot!"

"I told you, apart from that stretching I did earlier, I don't feel like training today." I replied with a bored look on my face which only made him angrier.

"When are you planning on improving yourself, then? When the enemy is at our doorstep? Is that it?"

I shrugged.

"Teppei, everyone's working hard. Are you that much confident at how ready you believe you are to face the enemy?" Enki asked, his voice was a bit softer now as a sigh of defeat escaped his mouth. Ah yes, this was already part of our drill – he gets mad, I retaliate, he gets madder, I keep silent, and he'll sigh and just leave things be.

"Maybe." I replied. "I don't know until that happens."

"Geez, you're not even confident about it!" Is the cycle going to repeat again, I wondered as Enki said those words.

"I don't really see the point of training at the moment, Enki." I told my Guardian Spirit. "I mean, come on... what good will it do when we're not even allowed to head out to the battle field? What good will it do when all we are allowed to do is stay here and do whatever we want?"

"The point of it all is that you will be ready when it's your turn to fight." Enki replied as he too looked up to watch the snow flakes fall.

"I wonder when that would be..." I muttered not intending for anyone to hear it but, it seems that the way I said it wasn't as soft as I would have hoped as Enki heard what I had just said and looked at me with so much attention, as if I am some kind of specimen and he was a scientist.

He didn't say anything, though, and so I just continued on musing. This time, the words that escaped my lips were much louder than before. "I bet they plan on letting us fight when all hope is lost and we're the only ones capable of defeating the enemy. That would be annoying and would be so clichéd."

"So what do you want then?" Enki asked me.

I closed my eyes. It was easy enough to answer that question that I didn't even bother to think twice of what I was to say.

"I want to fight even before it's too late. I don't want to be part of the 'last resort' crew. I want to do something instead of just waiting here for the twilight to come."

I knew that when I let those words escape that it was loud enough for anyone to hear and was so filled with conviction – a conviction as strong as my desire and as strong as the reason behind it. However, I would not have thought that apart from my Guardian Spirit someone else would have heard what I had just said.

And never had I also realized that my time to fight would come so quickly as for it to come the next day.

"That's wrong! Absolutely wrong!" shouted Enki as his voice could have easily traveled around the house with such a loud volume. If that were the case, I wouldn't even be surprised.

I can't really remember how, but one way or another, Enki has forced his training regime on me as soon as the sun light hit the bars on my window. All I could remember thinking is how troublesome this all was and how I wished I could be at a different place at that particular time.

"Your breathing is all wrong, and so is your posture!" Enki continued to correct me. We were working on my stance for summoning a higher level Earth Ability or Magic or whatever you want to call it, I don't really care about the details too much.

It wasn't as cold as yesterday as the snow had stopped pilling up and the wind that was blowing was a lot warmer. I may be no doctor, but I could swear at the rate the weather changes over here, we'd soon have a flu or something. Of course, the people of this bizarre weather changing place has adapted to it to even worry about a flu.

If you are wondering where we are at, we are at the sunroom, a place at the side of the house overlooking the landscape of the Garroule mountais. Enki believed this to be a good place for me to train without wreaking to much havoc thanks to my unstable ability of controlling this level 3 ability, whatever you may call it.

"Whatever." I said, feeling annoyed and tired. "Who cares about breathing techniques or postures."

SMACK!

It came as a surprise to be hit by a paper fan by such a miniature creature as Enki with such a force that caused me to fall face first on the hard pavement with my head throbbing.

"What the hell was that for!?" I asked, shouting at my so-called instructor whilst holding my head where he hit me. I know I should also ask him where he managed to get that paper fan but that doesn't concern me very much at that moment.

"You should know very well not to question the basics!" Came the reply as he acted like a know-it-all that if he wasn't my Guardian Spirit I could have flicked the little critter to the very far side of Frontiria, no, even beyond Frontiria's borders. "The basics are the foundation of every single technique that you have learned and will learn. If you can't even nail down the basics, how will you attempt to do the more complex Earth-based moves? A great composer can not compose an amazing piece if he doesn't know the basics by heart first!"

I grumbled at being hit and being lectured by Enki but I know by experience that grumbling won't get me anywhere with him. When it comes to his training, the sooner I get things done correctly, the better it would be. He isn't one of those instructors and this isn't one of those classes where you would actually want to be longer or even choose to stick around to even when classes have been dismissed.

Before I knew it, I was backed to my level 3 posture and doing some breathing exercise with my little _sensei. _Oh, how I wished this day would end and this whole troublesome war would be over and done with and my role as a Chosen One complete.

It was only when midday came that someone visited us. It was Lord Ishige. It was a bit of a surprise for me to find him here that I did not bother to hide the question from him.

Lord Ishige laughed as he replied, "I just came to see how you are doing."

"I beg your pardon, sir?" Yeah, I know, it was a lame reply but I didn't really quite get what he was saying.

"I always look at how you and the others train. I find it relaxing, you see." Came the reply.

"Relaxing? I don't mean to be blunt, Lord Ishige but, there's nothing relaxing about training." I said while still maintaining my corrected posture and breathing.

"Well, unless of course you are watching." Lord Ishige laughed. If I didn't know any better I'd say he was making fun of me or was amused at how things were going with my training. But, I knew better. I knew that he didn't just come here just to watch me and Enki, whom he says he can somewhat see, bicker and train – no matter how amusing that prospect may be.

"The Organization's fourth and eight division managed to lend aide to the second division that was under attack near Quintenzie City. No casualties from civilians but it seems that the second-in-command in that division got severely injured." Lord Ishige told me as he remained standing, watching me do my breathing exercises. It was as if he was reporting all of these to me, of course, it feels awkward for some particular reason.

"I see." To be honest, however, I felt very relieved to know that the fourth and eight of the Organization managed to get there in time. You see, I have friends in those divisions and in the second and fifth division as well. "That's good to know."

I would be willing to bet that Lord Ishige could see the relief in my face, as I did not bother to hide it.

"A messenger came by, it seems that your friend from the second division, Sir Arkrim is worried about you." Lord Ishige went on. What he said surprised me, after all, what's there to worry about with me? It's not like Arkrim, the second-in-command of the second division, to worry about me.

"That's a waste of resources to send a messenger just to ask that, if I may say so, Lord Ishige." I replied what was on my mind. Quite honestly, what is that Arkrim thinking?

"Well, I also share the same sentiment." Lord Ishige said as he walked towards the lone chair and table a little ways from the entrance of the sunroom. "However, there is nothing wrong with a friend worrying about another friend... of course, a letter would have just sufficed."

I remained silent and so did Enki. I suppose that for some reason, Enki must have a little bit of a grudge at Lady Izumi's father since whenever the ex-commander comes, Enki would just shut up. I don't know what that little grudge may be about but sometimes, and on occasions such as this, I am quite thankful for the commander's presence.

After that, the commander merely watched in silence. Of course, from time to time, he would help Enki (much to Enki's dismay) in teaching me how to do this or that. Unlike Enki though, Lord Ishige does not whack me with a paper fan every time I may some sort of mistake which mostly ends with the ground shaking causing a minor earthquake.

The afternoon soon went by quickly but productively... at least, that's what Enki told me as he said he could feel my spiritual energy rising once again. Meaning, I'm growing powerful but still lack control of that power which is pretty much makes that power useless.

"Take your time to grow, Teppei." Lord Ishige told me as we made our way back to the halls of the small house-slash-mansion. "Although, don't waste too much time not doing anything to help yourself grow. You can't depend on Enki too much."

I know that what Lord Ishige said was true but still...

"Enki won't always be there forever with you. The time will come that you would have to part with him, and by that I mean permanently part with him."

I kept quiet. I always end up being quiet when it comes to a conversation in which I don't know what to say. But, it would appear that Lord Ishige Orimoto fully understands that, and decided not to say anything else as we both parted once he arrived at his destination and I to mine.

I was still contemplating on whether to head on over to my room and take a shower or continue on down the hall as I stood in front of my room's door when the door suddenly burst open knocking my head and myself back a couple of inches.

Just as I was about to curse whoever it was that suddenly opened my room and who was loitering about in there without my permission, I was completely taken by surprise to see the person whom we have been talking about earlier. My friend, Arkrim from the second division of the Organization.

It would seem that to this red-head friend of mine, I must have looked stupid with my mouth agape like that as he went to laugh as he said, "Surprised you, didn't I?"

Isn't it obvious? And what the hell are you doing here? I thought Lord Ishige said that you merely sent a messenger over to check up on me or something!

"Why should I send a messenger just to see my best friend?" He replied with that smug look of his still in his pale-colored face, a color that is quite normal for him. "The division needed to send some important information over to the Leader so I just volunteered myself for the job."

We both entered my room, which wasn't the best place to hold a reunion but, knowing how full the tea room and the dining hall would be at this time, we really didn't have much of an option. Of course, neither of us could mind, after all, how long has it been since we last saw each other? Too long to remember that's for sure.

Arkrim Dumont. He has been a childhood friend of mine since even before the Leader found us both and even before we joined the Organization. This pale-skinned, red haired, raven-eyed young man grew up at the same small town that I did, of course, as far as how we met and became friends... well, that is a different story, one that should be reserved for another time.

Ever since my powers came into light, Arkrim's ability as one of the best spies with his swift movements and quick wit became acknowledged as one of the best in his field. Since then, he was sent into the intelligence division of the Organization – the second division. And from that point on, he stayed there and we haven't seen each other since... well, that is, until now.

Which is why, it would be safe to say that after all that time, we surely had a lot to talk about, and we did. I have never been happy as I was happy back then, however, all of that changed when the city's emergency bell started ringing and out of nowhere, explosions started erupting causing quite a panic to the citizens.

Of course, there was no need to count to ten for someone to come running to my room to tell me what was happening. For as soon as the first bell rang and the first explosion occurred, someone was already at my doorstep.

A disheveled looking Kouichi pushed the door open. Sweat trickling down his brow as he tried to speak despite being out of breath.

"I don't think I need to say it but, we're being attacked!"

"By whom? What force from the Emperor is attacking us?" It was Arkrim who asked.

"I'm guessing it's the first infantry of the Emperor's knights." I said. "Only they could cause this much damage over such a very, very short time."

"It isn't an infantry, Teppei." Kouichi told me as he and the rest of us ran through the halls to meet with the others to push back the threat that is facing the city of Gwyneria. "It's Terrou."

**To be continued...**

**Post Author's Notes:**

I don't suppose I need to state who's telling the story at this chapter since it's obvious. Anyways, I wanted to expound Teppei's story a bit further but decided on doing it at another chapter as it would stray a bit from where this chapter was planned on going.

Also, the events stated and the places stated here would be more understood over the course of the story as those places and events holds a significant importance to the whole story. And like the previous chapter, I built this chapter to give a sort of peek at the world during the first game of the Endlessian Chronicles series (for those who are wondering and haven't been reading the past post author's notes, Endlessian Chronicles is a trilogy of RPG games that tells the story behind Endlessia, the world where this fanfic is taking place up to the end of this fanfic).

It was a chore to write this chapter, not because I did not want to write it or felt lazy about it but because of the stupid heatwave we're experiencing over here as I wrote this chapter. Thankfully, my friend, the air conditioner helped me through this tough time, lol.

Well, I suppose this is enough for now. I planned on releasing this yesterday but since I was only able to finish it now... well...

Expect the next chapter sometime late this week or on monday next week. With that said, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out. Ja ne!

Oh, almost forgot... I just heard that Susan Boyle got it through to the finals of "Britain's Got Talent". Good for her! I'm a Susan Boyle fan, you see. And I do hope she wins it through to the end. She deserves it.

**End of Post Author's Notes.**


	57. The Beginning of the End

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes:**

Sorry about this one heck of a delay in updating, a lot of things happened including late night shifts as well as the Chronicles of Endlessia game project that caused this chapter to be pushed back over and over again. However, I hope I can make it up to you guys with this newest chapter. Hopefully, it will all be to your liking.

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Beginning of the End**

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We all imagine ourselves the agent of our destiny, capable of determining our won fate. But, have we truly any choice in when we rise? Or when we fall? Or does a force larger than ourselves bid us our direction?

Takuya stared at the mirror, his heart racing, his mind whirling with thoughts of self-doubt and fear. With every tick of the clock and every second passed, it felt like hours which felt like an eternity for him as he waited patiently – waited for what the mirror would show him.

Sweat started to appear on his forehead, and his body stiffened as he saw the surface of the mirror starting to ripple. It would appear that Shinya noticed how tensed his younger brother was that he told him to "Relax."

"Easy for you to say, brother." Takuya muttered as his eyes momentarily darted towards the direction where his brother was watching.

Seconds later, his whole attention was once again fixed on the mirror before him, which has now began to shine brightly. And then, a voice suddenly spoke.

"Did you hear that!?" Takuya said, asking Shinya.

Shinya shook his head. "What the mirror speaks, only you can hear. That's how it works, Takuya. Now, shut up and open your heart and mind. Listen to what the mirror says, and listen well."

Takuya was about to retort when the voice once again spoke, this time clearly and loudly as though someone was whispering in his ears.

"_The time for the prophecy has come._" The voice spoke. "_Know that you do not choose your destiny, not any more, for the time has come for destiny to choose it for you. And those that knew you before Fate took you by the hand will, for now, not understand the depth of the changes inside. They will not, for now, fathom how much you stand to lose in failure... that you are the instrument of flawless Design. And all of life may hang in the balance..._"

"What does that mean?" Takuya asked out-loud, forgetting the fact that only he can hear the voice.

"_There will be those who can comprehend but most will merely stand in your way._" The voice went on, as if it did not hear the young man's query. "_The wheel of fate has turned once more. The cycle will repeat unless the mistakes of the past be made right._"

"Mistakes of the past? What are you talking about?" Takuya went on to ask.

"_Be steadfast Takuya Kanbara, for in you reside the power to free the world from the endless cycle brought about by fate. Only you who experience darkness yet live in the fiery light can free the world from that which binds it._"

"But I did not come here for that. I came here to know... to know if what my brother says is true." Takuya's voice was shaking. The ethereal voice was speaking about so many things that he knew nothing of, and could possibly care very little of at the moment.

"'_What Shinya speaks of is the truth yet, what he knows is only but a fraction of that truth_." the voice finally answered. "_What fate has planned cannot be altered no longer for the hands of darkness has begun to move. What is to happen is one that you cannot control._"

"Wait, what do you mean? What's going to happen and why can't I do anything about it?" Takuya shouted his question. This question, of course, peaked the interest and curiosity of Shinya and of Chiaki who had been ready to strike at her enemies for quite some time now.

"_Do not be confused and alarmed, young warrior._" The voice replied as it began to fade into the mirror, "_Trust in those whose hearts are connected to yours and things will turn out in the favor of those who hold the light._"

And with that the voice vanished and the whole of Mist Valley returned to it's quiet state. Takuya had his head down when Shinya began to walk towards him.

"I take it the spirits voiced out their thoughts to you and it's not one you would have expected?" Shinya asked as he walked.

"No, and once again I hear nothing but riddles." Takuya sighed as he faced Shinya. "The spirits... if that is who the owner of the voice was... warned me of something. They also told me that what you speak of is the truth but not the whole truth."

"There are still some things I, myself, do not know of." Shinya said. "Well, we got what we came for, somewhat, let's go back. I'm sure she's pretty worried about you."

"Right." Takuya agreed.

Just as they were making their way out of the valley, a wall of water popped up from the ground boxing both Takuya and Shinya in. It did not take long for the brothers to realize who was behind the water-wall.

"Well, this certainly is a surprise... bumping into you here, Chiaki." Shinya spoke and Takuya noticed the angered look in his eyes. "Why don't you quit your hiding and show yourself."

"I could never hide anything from you." Chiaki said with a shrill laugh that could send chills up one's spine. "Except maybe now."

"What do you want, Chiaki?" It was Takuya's turn to speak.

Still not appearing before them, Chiaki replied, "What do I want? You already know what that is, or did you forget?"

It was, of course, impossible for Takuya to forget. Afterall, how can one forget something so big as someone wanting revenge against him or her? – And that was exactly what Chiaki wants.

"Just give it up, Chiaki." Takuya said as he unsheathed his sword and poised himself ready for battle.

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that, after all, you are in a place that I could easily control." Chiaki retorted.

"She's right." Shinya whispered. "The Mist Valley is filled with the water spirits that she can easily control to attack us. We can't fight against her here."

"Then what are you saying?" Takuya whispered back. "Are you saying we should retreat? If we do that, the Queen, Katsuharu and Izumi might get in trouble if she finds her way there. Besides, how the heck are we going to get away? We're trapped already!"

"Just leave it to me." Shinya replied in a tone that suggests that there was nothing left to talk about.

* * *

We are, if anything, creatures of habit. Drawn to the safety and comfort of the familiar. But what happens when the familiar becomes unsafe? When the fear that we've been desperately trying to avoid, finds us where we live?

Izumi sat by the chair on the porch of the inn. Her eyes were gazing afar, to the direction where the Mist Valley could be found. She knew that it had not been that long since they left and was sure that they were already on their way back, after all, Mist Valley is not that far away from Harim.

As much as she assures herself, and as much as Katsuharu was trying to assure her as well of the two's safety, there was still that lingering feeling of uncertainty and fear of the unknown.

"You should really stop worrying, Izumi." A gentle voice spoke behind her. It was the Queen who had come to join her in the porch.

Hearing the voice of Queen Ophania made Izumi jump and stand up to show respect, which, of course, the Queen made her feel at ease and stop.

"I have heard stories about Takuya from his brother. Shinya might not seem like it, but he likes to talk about Takuya." Queen Ophania continued to speak as she sat down beside Izumi. "I've heard of how strong he is, I'm sure they will be alright. With Takuya's strenght and Shinya's power."

"I also have been telling myself that, Lady Ophania. But, I keep having these ominous thoughts." Izumi spoke solemnly.

"That's only normal." Queen Ophania replied. "Everyone's feeling the same way you do, especially those who know what he must be going through what with all the doubts he have of himself. That's only because he has so many friends."

"Yes, he sure has a lot of people caring about them." Izumi smiled at the thought of their friends.

"Now come, put your worries behind you and let us get back inside. I am sure you must be hungry." Queen Ophania said as she stood up and offered a hand to Izumi.

Taking one last look at the far-off distance, Izumi took the Queen's offer and the two went back inside the inn where Katsuharu was waiting for them.

* * *

In the beginning there was discovery. A confusion of elements. The first snowfall of impossible change. Old lives undone, left behind. Strange faces made familiar. New nightmares to challenge sleep. New friends to feel safe with. Only then comes control. The need to impose order unto chaos, through determination, through study, through struggle. All in defiance of a thundering truth. They're here, and the earth shudders underfoot.

They there were facing the one responsible for causing so much chaos and destruction in Gwyneria. Snow had started to fall, once again blanketing even further the already snow-filled city.

The bloody look on their enemy's eyes were enough to bring forth the cowardice in a person's heart. But, it did not work for the Chosen Ones who were dead-set on stopping the mayhem.

"How are we going to deal with this guy this time?" Teppei voiced out his concern. "We have to make sure that his regenerative abilities are stopped first and foremost."

"Right." Kouji agreed. "No hesitations, everyone!"

Everyone agreed to what Kouji said, after all, in a battlefield such as this, hesitation could mean defeat and death – something that they could not allow.

With their minds set, and although they have been weakened with the extraction that had occurred long ago, they placed their faith on each other and on the power that remained inside them.

"Try as you may, you all are no match against me." Growled Terrou as he, himself, poised himself to battle.

Teppei, grinned as he made a dash to the enemy wishing to make the first strike, "So, you can talk again now, Terrou! Well, it doesn't matter right now!"

Kouji looked at their other companions, from Junpei and Tomoki to Kouichi. And, with a nod, they all followed Teppei and made a dash towards the enemy.

"Useless!" And with a flick of the hand, Teppei called forth a wave of tree roots that seemed alive, lashing at the incoming battalion of Chosen Ones.

The tree roots proved enough to push Teppei's group back. But it was not enough to dampen the spirits of those who stood up to protect the city under siege.

* * *

Try as they might they could not escape. It would appear like the wall of water was following and boxing them in wherever they go. It was as Chiaki had said, 'Futile'.

They were already huffing and puffing having tried to run away. And in the background they could hear Chiaki laughing in amusement.

"This isn't working, brother." Takuya said as he wiped sweat from his brow. "She's only toying with us."

"Yes, I've noticed." Shinya muttered. "I guess I don't have a choice. I didn't wish to use this unless it's extremely necessary..."

"What are you talking about?"

Shinya faced Takuya and grinned a confident grin. "I was supposed to use this when we face a more formidable foe but I suppose I can show you a glimpse of it and let Chiaki taste a bit of it as well right now."

Takuya gave him a puzzled look, and with his sword in his hand, Shinya closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them with a look of confidence in his eyes as if his fatigued had vanished completely. He stood straight and strong as a fiery dark energy began to swirl around his sword.

Chiaki, who had been watching not far from them was surprised and for the first time felt a pang of fear shot up to her. A cold feeling. A deadly feeling.

From the sword, the energy traveled and whirled around Shinya before wings made of black-colored fire appeared on his back and markings similar to the ones Takuya remembered seeing on Flayhm's face appeared on Shinya's face.

It was then that Takuya realized, this was Shinya's Level 3 power and it was, without a doubt, stronger than his.

"It's useless to hide now, Chiaki." Shinya said after his transformation was completed. "I can sense exactly where you are."

And with that he hurled a ball of fire at the direction of where a pillar was standing several feet away from them. When the ball of fire hit the pillar, a powerful explosion occurred that pushed even Takuya back. And sure enough, when the smog cleared, Chiaki had begun to stand up from where the force had knocked her back.

"What power..." Chiaki gawked.

With that powerful attack, it was enough to break the spell that Chiaki had cast to wall them in. With the water-wall gone, Shinya took Takuya by the hand and the two began their escape.

Chiaki, however, seemed to have regained her composure as her eyes turned back to one searching for blood lust and revenge.

"Do you really think you can outrun me in a place that I have claimed as my domain?" Chiaki said as she disappeared into the mist.

Shinya did not however let up as he continued to rush to the direction of the exit of the valley, towing Takuya alone who knew better than to slow down. They both knew that Chiaki was not about to give up and that she could have more under her sleeves.

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A sudden chill went up her spine as a cold wind blew over through the open window of her room where she had decided to stay as soon as she had finished her meal with the Queen and her son, the prince.

Standing up from her bed where she had laid, Izumi went over to where the open window was, opposite to her bed.

"_Can you feel it, Izumi?_" A voice inside her head spoke. It was a voice she had not heard for a long time, yet the voice sounded weak that it was hard for Izumi to hear her. It was Kaizen. "_There's something in the wind that even I am having a hard time to decipher._"

Izumi, surprised, closed her eyes to be able to concentrate more and hear Kaizen better. "Kaizen! Where have you been? Why do you sound so... so weak?"

"_I've always been around you, Izumi... not just being able to materialize, that's all._" Kaizen replied with a hint of lightheartedness in her voice. "_But enough about that Izumi, feel the wind. Maybe you can hear it's voice... I have been... feeling weak for some time now._"

Izumi did not to be told this by her Guardian Spirit, after all, she had thought it weird for a cold wind to have blown just then. And, it was just as Kaizen had said, there was something in the wind. A hint. A hint of what, she couldn't tell.

"I'm worried, Kaizen." Izumi finally spoke. "This feeling, that ominous wind, no matter what I do I always end up thinking of Takuya and Shinya's well-being."

"_I think you have a right to be._" And with that, Kaizen's voice vanished leaving Izumi alone to ponder what the Guardian Spirit of Wind had just said.

Looking over at the view given to her by the open window, Izumi could not help but mutter: "Takuya, please be okay."

* * *

Tomoki was struggling as he was being held up by his foot by a large root that had suddenly shot out of nowhere. A trap conjured by none other than Terrou Minami.

Junpei was struggling in taking down the countless of roots that were springing up from around him trying to get a grip on him just as they did with Tomoki.

Teppei was swinging his axe calling forth multiple large spikes of earth from the ground, trying to uproot the roots that were growing from everywhere.

Kouji and Kouichi were doing their best and busying themselves with dodging, parrying, attacking and defending against Terrou in melee combat.

"This is not getting us anywhere!" Shouted Tomoki as he frozen the root that was keeping him in the air and smashed it to pieces causing him to fall to the ground. "He's far stronger than before."

"Either that or we're simply weaker than before." Junpei said as he fell back just in time to duck from another root that was aimed to hit him in the head.

Looking at the fray that was occurring between the twins and Terrou, Tomoki and Junpei could see the look of amusement and enjoyment in their enemy's face. It was as if he wasn't getting tired from the fight that had caused half of the city to be destroyed and continually be destroyed.

"He's a monster!" Tomoki said as he froze the spot around him and saw how effective his powers were. "But I think I got how to freeze him on the spot."

Teppei heard what Tomoki said and noticed the very same thing that Tomoki noticed. With a grin on his face, he used a radial earth attack to fend of his root assailants and rushed to Tomoki and Junpei's side.

"I don't know how he can regenerate despite the frost around him but..." Teppei said as he got to his destination. "I suppose he hasn't tasted a frostbite from you, Tomoki."

* * *

He didn't know how it happened. It was, in a way, impossible. He knew that at the speed they were going, it was impossible for anyone to catch up. If that was the case, how then is it possible for her to get in front of them?!

"Surprised?" Chiaki asked, a crazy grin on her face.

Takuya and Shinya took a s step back. They were unsure if Chiaki actually do know who is who but for him, Shinya, it was a good thing.

"_From the distance she was standing, watching us, it's really impossible to tell the exact difference between Takuya and me._" Shinya thought to himself as he glared at Chiaki in the same manner that Takuya was glaring at her. "_If she's after Takuya, then I would have to make sure that she doesn't get him._"

The thought of Izumi suddenly entered his mind and he mentally smiled at the thought, "_If I fail to protect him, I don't want to imagine what she would say or do to me._"

Thinking that it was and is the safest thing to do, and believing that he has an idea on a way for Takuya to escape, Shinya decided to use one of his Level 3's special powers.

Conjuring a small, invisible dark flame, he aimed it at Takuya and let the flame move itself towards his shoulder. As the flame settled on Takuya's shoulder, Shinya was able to make a direct connection to Takuya's mind, allowing him to communicate with Takuya in secret.

"_Don't be alarmed, Takuya._" Shinya telepathically communicated, "_This is just one of my abilities while in Level 3. Listen carefully as we don't have much time before she makes her move, I'm sure of it. It would appear that Chiaki doesn't know which one of is the real 'you'... we know who's she's after and why, and we both know that your role in this is not yet over and we can't allow you to be captured or worst, be killed. That's why... allow me to help you now... allow me to be you for now until __we can escape her grasp..._"

Takuya nodded, not bothering to reply.

Seeing that his brother has accepted, Shinya made his move. He stood the way Takuya normally stands, he walked forward the way that Takuya walked making Takuya, for a brief moment, believe that he was seeing himself move.

"If it's me you want," Shinya said as he continued to act like Takuya and even sound like him, "then come, let us finish this, Chiaki."

It was either because Shinya was confident that the mist was hiding the small differences between Shinya and Takuya, like Takuya's eye and the color of the flames that the two were conjuring. But, Chiaki seemed not alarmed. She was, in a way, a bit lax.

A laugh, high-pitched and eerie escaped Chiaki's lips. "Do you think that I would not notice. You're not the one I want."

Both Shinya and Takuya were taken aback by this. Both had only one thought in mind, that this was bad...

"What do you want with Shinya, then?" Shinya asked continuing his act. "I won't allow you to get what you want."

"And neither will I." Added Takuya who decided to join in the act. "Two against one, I'd say the odds are against you."

"Oh really, you both seem to fail to realize... Numbers do not matter in this place. The mist, after all, is my ally." Chiaki retorted.

It was then that Shinya realized why she was able to see where they were going or anticipate what they were planning. It was as she had said, the mist was aiding her – something he had forgotten.

"Mist or no mist, we're still getting out of here!" And with that, both Takuya and Shinya called forth multiple small balls of fire and hurled it at Chiaki's direction.

With the impact of the attack on their target, eruptions occurred which Takuya and Shinya used as a cover as they made their way out.

"We can fight her, can't we?" Takuya asked over the roar of the explotions.

"Not in her turf." Shinya replied. "Even if I can use my Level 3 now, her power is still stronger than ours."

They were almost out of the Mirror Cave when, once again, they were stopped dead on their tracks by Chiaki.

"Tsk, tsk... Nice try." Chiaki said as she appeared before them yet again, unscathed. "Let's end this game, shall we."

"End this game?" Shinya was about to ask when Chiaki suddenly dashed forward, a dark glowing energy in her hand, aimed towards the real Takuya.

It was like everything was in fast forward, neither Takuya nor Shinya could move. Within seconds, Chiaki was already face to face with Takuya, she then whispers, "This is my revenge."

And with that, Chiaki plunges her hand into Takuya's heart. It was like his chest was made of jelly as Chiaki's hand went through his chest into his heart as dark energy began flowing from the collision.

"Takuya!" Shouted Shinya as Takuya screamed in agony and Chiaki laughed in triump.

A couple more seconds later, Chiaki withdrew her hand and Takuya fell to the ground. Worried for his younger brother and angered at what Chiaki did, Shinya chose to attack Chiaki and try to push her back.

Chiaki, of course, saw this and decided to teleport herself and Takuya a ways away from Shinya.

"What did you do to him?" Shinya shouted, his eyes filled with anger towards the female Chosen One.

"Just what I was asked to do by the Dark One." Replied Chiaki.

"What did you say!?"

Chiaki looked down on the sprawled figure that is Takuya and noticed that he has begun to stir, she then said, "Looks like he's coming to."

And as if on cue, Takuya did regain consciousness and stood up. But, instead of fighting off Chiaki who had begun to clung into him, he was indifferent.

"Takuya, what are you doing?" Shinya asked, confused as why Takuya was not fighting against Chiaki.

"Tsk, tsk. It seems he can no longer hear your voice." Chiaki said. "I'll show you, he'll only listen to me now."

Then facing Takuya, she whispered in a seductive manner, "Why don't you show him whose side you are on now, Takuya."

Without having the need to be told twice, Takuya unsheathed his sword yet again and proceeded to attack Shinya in a variety of slashes and trusts which left Shinya confused and surprised at the turn of events. It was because of this that Takuya managed to get several hits on him causing his Level 3 to be depleted.

With his arm bleeding and his face pretty much wounded, he forced himself to stand. "Takuya, wake up! Why are you allowing yourself to be controlled by the likes of her?"

"Controlled?" Takuya replied, he seemed normal except that Shinya knew he wasn't himself. "Who said anything about being controlled? I was merely... released."

"See?" Chiaki joined in. "There's nothing you can do now, Shinya. Now, come, Takuya, we have one more work to do before we return home."

"Yes, of course." Takuya said as he turned around and began walking towards the exit of the valley.

"One more work to do? What do you mean, Chiaki?" Shinya asked.

"I think you know very well what." Chiaki replied. "Someone's waiting for his return, am I right?"

And with that, Chiaki and Takuya vanishes into the thick mist.

"Damn it." Shinya growled. "I can't waste time here, I have to get back before Takuya does and warn Izumi and Katsuharu."

With that said, Shinya used his own teleportation technique to get back to Harim.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

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**Post Author's Notes:**

I have to say that it has really been a while. I've been busy with work and with the Chronicles of Endlessia project, the first of the three games are already in full development.

Anyways, this is not one of my best chapters but, I couldn't complain as I have so little a time each day just to write it. I won't stop writing though, you can bet on that.

A lot of things sure has happened but we are far from the end, my friends. If my family and I won't be able to go to Manila this coming Sunday, you can expect the next chapter by then, otherwise, it would have to be sometime this week (I'm sure about that).

Also, please note that my blog has changed address and I now have my own website (check my profile for more info.) If you guys are interested about the Chronicles of Endlessia game which is a prequel to this story, then you can visit that website and navigate from there to the Official Chronicles of Endlessia website.

With that said, I am waiting to hear from you guys. I really did miss all of you after the long absence. Hopefully, I'm done with absences and we can finally conclude this story. This is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Don't forget to send in your reviews, okay?

**End of Post Author's Notes

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	58. The Returner

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez  


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**Author's Notes**

I was supposed to upload this chapter on the 1st of January but... something came up and I was unable to upload it so, I apologize (again).

I'm not going to write a very lengthy Author's Notes in this section since I know how most of you are just itching to read this new chapter.

Just a quick note, there is a bit of reference to the Chronicles of Endlessia game/novel at the end of this chapter. Well, that's it. Enjoy!

**End of Author's Notes  


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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Returner  


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_Everyone who knows about anything would also know that things don't just happen without a reason. When things that leave us bewildered and asking "Why" happens, it happens for a reason even if that reason is not something we can fathom or even see at the moment._

Shinya managed to teleport himself all the way back to Harim. He did not care of the way he looked – which was miserable, nor of the fact that his sword was still unsheathed. The wary and frightened looks of the villagers was something he could care less about at the moment for there was something far more important. Takuya had turned against them for whatever reason it was and, he and that accursed Chiaki are now aiming to attain the final piece that could spell the doom for Frontiria... no, for the entire world!

"I have to hurry to Izumi's side." Was the thought that allowed him, despite of his fatigue, to run towards the inn that they were staying at. "Time is of the essence."

He managed to breathe a sigh of relief when, upon bursting into Izumi's room and giving her a fright, he saw that she was safe and that there was no sign of Takuya and Chiaki...for now.

"Shinya?" Exclaimed Izumi, startled by Shinya. "Wha-why do you look like that? Wait, where's Takuya?"

"We don't have much time! We've got trouble and we need to get out of here now." Shinya said with much urgency in his voice.

"O-okay. What happened, though? Where's Takuya?" Izumi asked as she began to quickly pack up her things with Shinya waiting by the door, looking back and forth from the door and the windows.

"That can wait." Shinya snapped before adding, "Are you done yet? We have to hurry. I haven't even told the Queen and Katsuharu yet."

Izumi nodded, as she took the heaved and carried the small bag that held all of their things. After which, they both went to the Queen and Katsuharu's room. After a couple of seconds of loud knocks, the door opened.

Shinya quickly told them, though vaguely, of the danger that is now looming over them. Without a word of question, knowing that Shinya would not answer them now, the Queen and Katsuharu immediately packed. Moments later, all of them were ready to head out.

The moment that they stepped out of the inn however, Takuya was standing before them.

"Takuya!" Izumi said happily as she ran towards Takuya only to be held back by Shinya. "Sh-Shinya, what are you doing? Let go of me!"

"You'll thank me for this later, Izumi." Shinya said as he pushed her back towards Katsuharu and pulled out his sword. "Watch over her for a second, Katsuharu."

"I don't really understand what's going on but..." Katsuharu said before nodding.

"I can't let her walk towards you, brother, knowing full well what your intent is." Shinya said.

"You make it sound like I'm the evil one." Takuya snapped back as their swords clashed and the sound of the battle echoed throughout Harim.

Shinya did not answer back, not because he had no witty remark but because he knew of how pointless it would be now. He had to stay alert. If Takuya was here then Chiaki would not be far behind. He was sure, she was plotting something.

"I don't understand..." Izumi found herself whispering loud enough for Katsuharu and the Queen to hear. "Why are they fighting again? I thought they both decided to make up already..."'

"I don't know what happened in the Valley of the Mist, Izumi," Katsuharu told her as they watched the battle carry on, "but, can't you see it? There's something... different... about Takuya."

"Something...different?" She asked, unsure of what the other meant.

The Queen nodded. "There is something about him that feels rather... odd."

"We may have been your enemies once, Izumi but, for now, trust Shinya. He is, after all, the only one with us right now who knew what happened to Takuya." Says Katsuharu.

Just then, Shinya managed to pin Takuya to the ground and had managed to kick Takuya's sword away from him.

"Come on, snap out of it, Takuya!" Shinya said with his hand on Takuya's collar.

"Snap out of it? You make it sound like I'm not myself." Takuya laughed while still pinned down. "Hahaha, I haven't felt more myself than now. Chiaki, do it now!"

As if on cue, whips made of water suddenly appeared from thin air. These whips, translucent and seemingly intangible, suddenly lounged themselves at Izumi, Katsuharu and the Queen, tying them up and raising them high above the ground.

By then, civilians were starting to run away from the place where the inn was located, evacuating without even a thought of their properties. After all, their lives were far more important that any material possession they may have.

Screams of horror echoed as the three captives tried their best to set themselves free but failing miserably. A laugh, cold and high-pitched became audible and soon, Chiaki materialized herself in front of them all.

"Ch-Chiaki...?" Katsuharu gawked, shocked to see the Water's Chosen. "B-but...how?"

Chiaki merely smiled an eerie and sadistic smile, not bothering to answer Katsuharu's question. Rather, she moved towards Izumi, her hand glowing like it did so back in the Valley of the Mists.

"You have really given us so much trouble, Izumi." Chiaki said as she stopped right in front of her. "But, that all ends here. The last piece that we need, we shall finally have and with it, the dawn of a new era."

"If you think that you can extract my powers without a fight, then you are gravely mistaken!" Izumi retorted. She then called forth an incantation, "Oh wind, come to my aide!"

After muttering the said incantation, strong winds suddenly blew. They were so strong that they managed to cut the water ropes with ease, as if a knife was cutting cheese. Izumi then managed to land swiftly on her legs. The same could be said of the two other captives.

Upon seeing that Izumi can handle herself and that Katsuharu will probably help her out in her fight against Chiaki, Shinya managed to sigh another sigh of relief and eventually, he turned his attention back to Takuya who was still pinned under him.

"It seems things aren't going as how you planned." Shinya said. "I do apologize in advance but I have to put you to sleep for now, Takuya."

Just when Shinya was about to punch Takuya to knock him out temporarily, a sudden, powerful force suddenly emitted itself out of Takuya pushing Shinya off of him and into the wall of the inn.

"What were you saying?" Takuya sneered. He then turn towards Chiaki and asked, "What's taking you so long?"

Surprise was evident on Izumi's face when she heard Takuya address Chiaki. She could not believe that this person is really Takuya. He would have thought that it was Shinya if their eyes were not so different as their personalities.

"Takuya?" Izumi gasped. "What are you doing siding with the likes of her?"

Takuya looked at Izumi with the cold look in his eyes that once belonged to Shinya. "I merely chose a side. I thought, what's the point in sticking with the losing side? Now, Chiaki, take what we came here for!"

"Yes, of course." Chiaki replied, and with a swift movement of her hands, she managed to summon even thicker water-made ropes that bound Izumi and a wall that separated them both from the others. "Now, let's see you get out of this one, Izumi."

Izumi struggled to get herself free while Katsuharu tried to use his own power, what was left of it, to destroy the water wall. All the while that she struggled, she grew more and more weaker. It was as if the water rope that bound her was draining her of her energy.

"Damn it, let her go, Chiaki!" Shouted Shinya as he finally managed to stand up, and dash towards the water wall, pounding it with his fists.

"Oh, what's this now?" Chiaki asked as she looked at Shinya who was striking the wall with his bare fists, it was really a surprising spectacle. "Trying so hard to break the Water Prison? Unfortunately, what you are doing is futile. Now, why don't you all just sit and watch as I extract the last remaining piece."

"Enough babbling, Chiaki, just do it." Ordered an impatient Takuya.

Chiaki nodded and then, proceeded to move her hand towards Izumi's heart. Just when she was almost able to extract the power of the chosen from Izumi, Chiaki was suddenly pushed back by a protective barrier that suddenly activated itself around Izumi.

"What just happened?" Katsuharu asked, surprised that Chiaki was suddenly blown away.

"What was that?" Izumi asked in chorus to Katsuharu.

"_She's still being protected by her Guardian Spirit._" Shinya thoughts to himself. "_As long as her heart chooses to fight against Chiaki, then..._"

"Damn that Guardian Spirit." Chiaki said as she wobbly stood up.

Takuya sighed as he walked towards the water wall, "Must I do everything myself?"

Takuya then proceeded to walk past the water wall as if it was made of jelly and towards Izumi. He then grabbed her by her waist and drew her close to him.

"T-Takuya...?" Izumi was about to ask but was cut off when she saw Takuya's hand glow in an eerie dark color, the same manner that Chiaki's hand glowed before.

"Takuya! Don't!!" Shinya shouted.

The pleas reached deaf ears. His intent was clear. Though she could not believe it to be so, she knew that Takuya had defected. It could be because of that realization, or because of the fact that Takuya had plunged his hand to her heart to extract her power and the pain it had caused, that tears fell down her cheeks.

Her tears did not falter Takuya's hardened heart. His eyes were still as cold and as heartless as can be.

"T-Taku..ya." Muttered Izumi weakly, "W-why...?"

Takuya merely looked at her blankly and indifferently. He then let her go and turned towards Chiaki whilst holding a glowing purple orb in his hand.

"We've come what we came here for." Takuya told her, "Let's go, Chiaki."

"Yes, of course." Chiaki replied. With a wave of her hand, she opened a portal back to her ship.

As quickly as they arrived did they both left. And they left much destruction behind as well. The greatest damage it would seem, however, was done to Izumi who was left collapsed on the floor with tears still streaming down her eyes.

Shinya could not believe how powerless he was. For the first time he felt like he could relate to how Takuya might have felt. As the sky turned grey and rain began to pour, Shinya could not help but feel sorry at Izumi. He moved towards her unconscious form and carried her in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Izumi." Shinya apologized even though he knew she could not be able to hear him right now.

"Shinya, what happens now?" Katsuharu asked causing Shinya to turn to his and the Queen's direction. "They have all the Chosen's Powers in their hands."

"I...don't know." Shinya replied, unsure.

"Then perhaps it is time to talk with the person who DO know." the Queen suddenly spoke.

"Do you know who, mother?" Katsuharu asks.

The Queen nodded. "Yes. A Chosen, much like yourselves but from a different era. An era when Frontiria was not yet established and Felius had not been made king."

"But, that's more than a millenia ago." Shinya stated the obvious. "There is no way that that person could be alive still."

The Queen looked at him and then at her son then said, "We will talk more about this later, for now, let us get out of this rain."  


* * *

_ Why does the sun set only to rise again? Why does the tide change during a full moon and what does gravity have anything to do with it? Why is the sky blue, the grass green? Why are people born only to die in the end? We can name a lot of questions but can never really find a concrete answer as easily as we want._

"How long will it take for you to summon all the energy needed to freeze him up?" Kouji asked as he and the other Chosen Ones fell back to regroup and Terrou continued on with his rampage.

"A while." Tomoki replied, "Just make sure he doesn't realize what's happening while I'm charging up the attack, otherwise, he can easily do something about it."

"So we're the diversions now, are we?" Junpei said as he wiped some blood off of his eyes.

"Seems that way, but, this is the only way we can beat him." Teppei chuckled but there was a hint of sadness in the way he spoke.

"Well, what say we finish this now. I'm sure the Leader and Lord Ishige is waiting for us to return in one piece." Kouichi said as he stood up and turned to face the direction where Terrou was still on a rampage.

They did all they could do as diversions. It was easy to anger the Minami twin in their midst and coax him to make mistakes. But, when he did make mistakes it was so hard to make use of it. He was strong and the vines and roots that were heading his every command was even more troublesome now.

Minutes passed and finally Tomoki was ready. He signaled everyone to move out of the way and the moment that they did so, he released a massive energy wave that froze everything that touched it.

Within seconds, the whole battlefield was littered with frozen vines and roots and with their path cleared before them, as well as with Terrou flabbergasted, Kouji, Kouichi, Junpei and Teppei were able to launch a full scale attack against their enemy. Tomoki merely sagged on the ground, tired from the attack he had just launched.

With his body heavy thanks to the freezing temperature that had dawned around them, Terrou could barely defend himself. From all fronts, the four Chosen Ones did not let up on their attack, pushing Terrou further and further back.

Terrou roared in frustration as he flailed his arms around trying to make the frozen vines and roots come back to life but failing miserably.

"_This is it!_" Teppei thought to himself, "_This is our only chance to defeat him._"

It would appear as though Kouji could read his mind as he nodded and everyone understood at once. There was no time to waste.

Mustering all their remaining energy, they all extended their arms forward conjuring balls of energy that were dependent on the element that they represent. When the balls of energy were already as big as they could make them, they attacked Terrou with it.

An explosion that shook the entire town occured the moment the balls of energy collided with its target. Terrou was hidden from view thanks to the smoke that had appeared but when the smoke vanished, none of the Chosen Ones were prepared for what they saw.

Standing between them and an unscathed Terrou was Takuya Kanbara, his sword was in his hand. Beside him was Chiaki, a triumphant smirk on her face, gloating and loving every second of it.

"T-Takuya?!" Kouji exclaimed in disbelief. "What...what are you doing here?"

Takuya did not bother to reply, instead, he looked at Kouji and the others with an icy look in his eyes. He then looked at Chiaki and asked, "How is he?"

Chiaki took a quick glance at her twin and replied, "Battered but he is alright."

Takuya nodded then said, "Then, let us be off."

"Wait! Takuya!" Shouted Kouichi as he moved forward wanting to close the gap between him and Takuya. "What are you doing? Why are you helping _them_? Where's Izumi?"

Before Kouichi could take another step forward, Takuya raised his sword against him. The tip of his sword pointed at Kouichi's throat.

"I'm giving you a chance to live." Takuya said coldly. "I would suggest you try not to stop us."

Before anyone could say anything else, Takuya raised his right hand up in the air. A shadow loomed over and engulfed him, Chiaki and Terrou. When the shadow vanished, the trio was no longer in sight leaving the other Chosen Ones to ponder what had happened to Takuya.  


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_ But, to be able to understand a lot of things, we have also the need to look back. For there are times when we press and press on, when we find ourselves wondering about our purpose. When this time comes, what one needs to do is have faith and look back to the beginning. For only when we see the past clearly and have faith in the future will we be able to live with confidence in the present._

It all started with a book. A book containing the secrets of the world. A book so powerful that it can shake the very foundations of the world. The book also held one critical thing – a key to a seal that no man, or any other creature, should ever tamper with.

This book was called the Dragon Tome and not everyone can read its content and live to tell the tale. No. For only the person chosen by the book itself can read it. At the time when the world was still young, the person known as the Grand Master was the only one who managed to read the book and lead the world to peace and prosperity.

Back then, Frontiria or Ophania did not exist. Back then, four powerful kingdoms ruled the world: The Kingdoms of Fiametta, Astrea, Nerida and Haizea ruled the four corners of the world. Powerful as they were, never did the four great kingdoms waged war against each other for fear that the god of darkness, that once wreck havoc and destroyed a quarter of the world, would break the chains that now bound him.

Now, eons have passed and things had changed. The only remaining constant in this small, secluded island was a giant tree that was as tall as the tallest skyscraper and as thick as all of the thickest trees combined.

In the shade given by the tree, a lone figure lay. His eyes were closed but when the wind blew, he opened them revealing his eyes, one was gold in color while the other was blue.

The young man with crimson-colored hair looked at the distance where the island's shore could be seen. His eyes looked as if they were tired but at the same time it shone with knowledge and understanding.

The young man stands up and places his hand on the giant tree's bark. He closes his eyes and says, "So it has come to pass....the final prophecy will be fulfilled at last."  


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**To be continued...  


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**Post Author's Notes:  
**

And that wraps up this chapter. I hope you guys liked it.

If you guys are wondering what the deal was with the delay in regards to updating this fanfic, then I suppose you guys haven't visiting my blog at all. XD I always post there when the next update will be or why the updates will be delayed. So if you haven't already, please visit the site and subscribe. You can find the link on my profile (shameless advertisement, lol).

Like I've said, the last part is a quick reference to the events that had occurred prior to the story. As you guys may know, RotM's story is actually the third installment in the CoE series, a novel/game series that I am working on. The young man at the end there? He's a character from the series as well.

Anyways, that's all for now. Please send me your comments/views/etc,.. via the review option. I would really love to hear if you guys are still interested with this story or not (at least I'll know how many readers I am still catering with this story).

Having said that, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Until next time, ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes  
**


	59. Stand

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic **

**By Sakura Martinez  


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**Author's Notes:**

I know it has been a while but, a lot of things have been going on over here that I simply did not have time to update and this particular chapter, albeit already finished a couple of months before, failed to make it to the net.

Thankfully though, we have a holiday today and I was able to update this fanfic without any hitch. I won't prolong the Author's Note any further as I know a lot of you guys have been faithfully awaiting an update are craving for a new chapter to read.

So, without any further ado, here is the newest chapter of Rabbit on the Moon. Enjoy!

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Stand**

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His face was serene and peaceful. Even after a millenia has passed, he has still retained his youth. His physique did not change, he still looked as if he was 17-years-old. His spiky, crimson-red hair was longer now, though, with the end tied in a small pony-tail.

This young man, wore a tattered cloak over a breastplate that is colored silver—as silvery as the color of the moon on a clear, dark, night sky. Underneath his breastplate was a beige-colored long-sleeved, button-up shirt. He also wore a leather belt and a leather strap around his shoulder where his sword hang, sheathed, and by the looks of it, he had not wielded the said sword in a very, very long time.

He just stood, with his eyes closed near the large tree in the middle of the hill in the small island, with the wind blowing. The tree was beyond huge. It's four times taller than the tallest tree and three times thicker than the thickest tree. It's leaves were so green that they sparkle as if basked in the morning dew. In the presence of this tree, one would feel its majesty and wonder what secrets it may hide.

The young man then opened his eyes, revealing a pair of heterochromia eyes—one sea blue while the other was golden yellow.

As he opened his eyes, his expression hard to read, the wind blew softly once more.

"The time has come, finally, for the Dragon Tome's final prophecy to be fulfilled." He said to himself. "It sure has taken quite a long time hasn't it, Milanai?"

As those words escaped his lips, another gust of wind blew as if to answer the young man.

* * *

Shinya sighed as he closed the door leading to Izumi's cabin. Things were certainly not doing well for them and somehow he felt it was his fault.

As the ship they were on gently rocked along with the waves of the ocean towards their destination, Shinya grimly walked towards the deck. He needed to think, and he knew that he would not be able to do that in his cabin.

Once he arrived at the deck, he took a deep breath.

They were on their way to the small island of Vior per instruction of the Queen who seem to believe that they will find help there. He knew of Vior, he had learned of it when he was still a child but what he knew of it was only from legends and myths.

Long ago, when the four great kingdoms still exist, Vior was once a small, peaceful town situated on the borderline between Fiammetta and Haizea. It was supposed to be the second home of one of the greatest heroes the world ever knew, and it was also supposed to have been destroyed back when the god of darkness, Chaos was unsealed and the World Tree withered—or so the story goes. In the end, all he knew about the said island were legends, fables, myths. Nothing really concrete.

He sighed.

It was because he was so deep in thought that he did not notice Katsuharu standing next to him until he spoke.

"You shouldn't beat yourself up with what happened, Shinya." Katsuharu said.

Shinya was, of course, surprised. But he showed that emotion for only a quick moment, turning towards the young man who spoke before gazing back at the ocean.

"Heh. It's easy to say that but, when you do look at it, it was my fault." Shinya stated, a sad smile on his face. "I was the one who proposed that we head over to the Valley of the Mist. If I had just kept my mouth shut about it, Takuya would not have..."

"You know that even if you did not speak to him about that, Chiaki would still have found him and Izumi out..." Katsuharu said as he followed Shinya's gaze. "Besides, beating yourself up over what has already happened will not change anything."

"It's kind of an irony that I am now helping the very people that I have tried to kill so many times before and the person they trusted most is now fighting against them." Shinya noted. "The fates seem to find it amusing to play us with a sick joke like this."

Katsuharu could not help but laugh a hearty laugh at Shinya's comment. When his laughter died down he said, "Well, I just hope the fates aren't playing a trick on us now. I don't understand why my mother believes we really could find the mythical island, and she even says that we're close but... no matter how you look at it, as far as the eye can see there are no islands around this place."

Shinya nodded. True enough, they were surrounded by nothing but the ocean. There were no islands as far as the eye can see and there were no hints that an island was indeed near.

"What do you suppose we are going to find in Vior, should we truly find the place?" Shinya asked, his eyes gazing at the ocean. "You don't suppose mythical beings reside there as well, do you?"

"You mean like the ones in the legends? The Guardians of Endlessia or the Dragon Gods?" Katsuharu asked. "Well, if the legends are true I doubt they are still around... Isn't Valthoria the last remnant from that ancient world?"

If Shinya was in a better mood before, upon hearing Valthoria's name his brows furrowed and anger began to rise within him.

"Valthoria..." He said, gritting his teeth.

Katsuharu took notice of this. He could not help but note how much Shinya really hated the man who many have regarded in the ancient world as the Grand Council Master...no, maybe it wasn't the old man in the legends whom he had found hatred for but maybe Shinya hated himself for being drawn to a promise made by a puppet-king.

"You know, I think it's okay to stop hating and regretting things from your past now, Shinya." Katsuharu spoke, and his words surprised Shinya making Shinya turn to his direction, his face confused. Katsuharu did not allow Shinya to speak, however, as he continued on, "I know I may not have a right to say this as I have not gone through what you went through but... you learned a lot because of the mistakes you made in the past and you're trying to correct those mistakes now, right?"

Katsuharu stopped for a while, trying to assess what Shinya must be thinking. When Shinya didn't speak, he went on.

"You started this journey with revenge in your mind but, I think right now, your journey is a journey for redemption. To try to set things right – that's what you're really aiming for and I believe that whatever happens, everything will turn out fine in the end."

"How can you sound so sure about that, Katsuharu? I have killed so many in the name of violence and have allowed anger to get the best of me one too many times. And yet, you sound as if it's okay."

"Well, it is now. Like I've said, you're trying your best to set things right. To undo the mistake that you made...I think that's what's most important, don't you?"

"I...don't know." Shinya answered honestly, his eyes were downcast.

Katsuharu laughed, "Well, looking at you now, I think that it's okay to believe that."

"What?"

With a smile still plastered on his face, Katsuharu replied, "Well, I just think that, Takuya's personality has really rubbed on you. If I didn't know any better, and if your eyes weren't a dead give away, I would have thought you were Takuya."

"D-Don't say that!" Shinya said, stuttering as he did so. "I am nothing like that idiot."

Laughter was all Katsuharu answered him before he turned around and walked away, leaving Shinya by himself.

As Shinya watched his friend walk balk inside the ship, he could not help but smile a little. In his mind, despite the doubts that are lingering in his mind about the island and about himself, Shinya could not help but think that perhaps it wouldn't hurt to believe even just a little.

* * *

The cloaked, crimson-haired, young-looking man continued to watch the scenery before him. He could feel the anticipation burning within him. He could feel that they are close.

He looked over at the large tree and asks, "It is time, don't you think so?"

A warm and gentle breeze blew, answering his question. The young-looking man smiled. That answer was enough. Slowly, he began his decent from the small hill where he was standing and towards the shoreline of the small island.

* * *

Izumi sat curled like a ball. She was still in shock. Too many unanswered questions about their previous run-in with Chiaki and the betrayal brought by Takuya's defection left her in a state of disarray.

She could barely remember what they were talking about hours before or what they were doing, where they were going and things like that but she felt that it was supposed to be important.

She wanted to talk to Kaizen but, no matter what she does, she could no longer hear her voice nor could she feel her presence. She was gone and Izumi does not know if she could retrieve her still...

She forced herself not to cry, remembering all the things that has happened thus far. She needs to be strong in order to bring Takuya back to his senses.

"_I merely chose a side._" Izumi remembered Takuya say, "_I thought, what's the point in sticking with the losing side?_"

"_Were those words really Takuya's words or is someone telling him what to do and say?_" Izumi wondered to herself as she buried her head on her arms. "_I-I don't know anymore..._"

Just then, a knock erupted on the door, followed by Katsuharu's voice saying, "Izumi, can I come in?"

Izumi did not bother to answer. She really did not want to talk with anyone right now, not even Katsuharu or the Queen, and most especially not Shinya.

"Well, if you're not going to let me come in, I might as well say what I came here to say out here." Katsuharu says, his voice slightly muffled by the door. "Move forward."

Izumi was surprised and, at the same time, confused as to what Katsuharu said.

"_Move...forward?_" She wondered to herself. "_What does he mean by that?_"

"That's all we can do right now and... I think that's what Takuya would be doing if he were in our shoes as well." Katsuharu continued to talk behind the door. "We're in a slump right now. All of us. And I know you are taking this harder than the rest of us but, that's just all the more reason why you must stand up with your own two legs now and take a step forward."

Silence.

"I know it must not sound like much coming from me but... even Shinya is doing his best moving forward... You should too. Besides, it's not the end. We can still get Takuya back... at least, I think we can."

More silence.

"Ah, well, that's all I could say right now." Katsuharu said before he left to retire in his own cabin. "I'm not really good when it comes to pep talks."

Izumi did not know what to say. He was right, of course but... but then, what? What should she really be doing? She no longer has her Guardian Spirit, much less the power of a Chosen One. She was just a normal, ordinary human being now.

Suddenly, she remembers the words Haruko said: "_A Chosen One's power does not rely solely on her Guardian Spirit._"

"A Chosen One's power...I still don't have an answer to that, Master Haruko..." Izumi found herself muttering. "But... Katsuharu's right. If Takuya were in my shoes, he will not be sulking like this..."

Izumi then looks up. The hollowed-look in her eyes was gone. Instead, there was a new-found determination in them. Her fists were balled as she stood up.

"_Master Haruko, I'm still finding my way in search for an answer to where a Chosen One's power relies. I know I'm not there yet but... I think I can get there by taking one step forward just like what Katsuharu said._" Izumi silently conveyed whilst looking over the porthole and into the blue ocean. "_Hang in there, Takuya. I will take you back._"

* * *

His sea-blue and golden-yellow eyes looked over at the ocean, his brows were furrowed and his mind focused on the task at hand. After all, releasing the barrier and materializing an island into view was no easy feat. It takes a lot of concentration and a lot of power.

Sweat was trickling down his forehead. It has been a long, long time since he had done something like this.

Seconds later, the ground began to shake and a powerful gust of wind blew around the island. He mutters an incantation and the wind blew even stronger, the wind seemingly being emitted from him.

After that, six words escaped his mouth: "Come. The path has been opened."

* * *

The waves crashed on the ship, rocking it furiously. The waves were bigger now, and getting bigger still.

That, along with the powerful wind blowing in the area and the lightning flashing across the sky made it seem like a storm was coming straight towards the ship.

Shinya had to grip the rails on the ship tighter just so he would not be thrown overboard.

"What the heck's happening?" Asked a bewildered Shinya. One moment it was bright and sunny, now it was stormy.

It would appear that the violent rocking of the ship was enough to draw Katsuharu, the Queen, and Izumi out of their cabin and unto the deck. What awaited them there was something that they will forever remember.

There, a couple of kilometers away from them was a small island with a very, very large tree materializing before them.

It is the mythical island of Vior.

"We've finally arrived..." the Queen said in awe.

Shinya nodded. "So, it is true... this island, I hope we can find our answers here."

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

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**Post Author's Notes:**

Finally, an update. I am as ecstatic as you guys about this update since we are nearing the end of this fanfic (although, the ending is still a ways off, XD).

Anyways, I'm not sure when the next update will be but I will _try _to update this within the week. Well, that's about all for today. It's pretty late already so I'll cut this post author's note short.

I do hope you guys will review and let me know if you guys are still interested in this fanfic. Having said that, if you guys ever need news or updates regarding my projects, fanifcs or anything like that, you can find those on my blog (check my profile, XD).

Having said that, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out. Until next time!

**End of Post Author's Notes**


	60. The Black Flames

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes**

Whew, I finally managed to finish this chapter just in time.

This should be enough to quench your thirst for a new chapter for a couple of days before I update again. This chapter should answer some questions as well as open up more information on the history of the world that the story revolves in.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy reading this as I worked hard on it.

**Enjoy!**

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Black Flames**

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"Finally, you have all arrived."

That was the words of greeting given to them by the crimson-haired young man. And, as he said those words, he was smiling. Despite his smiling face however, Shinya and the others could not help but doubt if this young man was really a friend or if he was a foe.

They kept their distance from him as they all gathered in the island's shore.

It would appear, however, that this young man knew what they were thinking as he said, "There's no need to worry, you are all safe in this island for no one can enter and wreck havoc here unless Milanai permits it or unless Milanai's powers have grown weak and neither of that is true for now."

"Milanai?" Katsuharu asked, surprised. It has been ages since that name was spoken and heard of. "You mean...the world tree?"

The young man grinned and pointed at the large tree over at the distance. "The one and only. After all, it's impossible not to see the World Tree here for this is its island."

"Y-you can't be serious..." Katsuharu gaped. "If that's the World Tree, Milanai then... who are you? I heard no human can live in Milanai's Island."

"Can't you take a guess as to who he is already?" The Queen asked as she walked towards the young man. "He is the guardian of Milanai, Kaien Suzaku."

Surprise is even more evident on Katsuharu's face. He was dumbfounded to say the least. As for Shinya and Izumi, both exchanged confused glances not sure at all as to what they were talking about.

"Who?" Izumi asked just before Shinya could.

Katsuharu's voice was shaking as he began to tell them what he knows about Kaien Suzaku.

"A long, long time ago, before Frontier became a single Kingdom Nation there were 4 powerful continents: Haizea the Earth Continent, Nerida the Water Continent, Fiammetta the Fire Continent and Astrea the Wind Continent. These four continents each houses a powerful kingdom, save for Nerida being a queendom instead.

These four kingdoms were at peace for as long as history could remember however, tensions began to arise a century after Chaos, the god of darkness, was first revived by a man by the name of Gawain.

Gawain wanted to be free from the binds of the goddess of light, Lumina which were in the form of the Dragon Tome, and so, he made a pact with the Dark One in order to destroy the tome and free the world. In his eyes, what he was doing was right. Of course, the whole of Endlessia did not wish to be ruled by Chaos as well. Which is why the whole of Endlessia rallied under one banner to put an end to Gawain and his ambition.

Anyways, a century passed from that time, with the Dragon Tome gone and no one or nothing visible to guide the world, the four kingdoms began to wage war against one another in hopes of becoming the only kingdom. The Holy Capital and Valthoria could do nothing about it.

It was during that time that the Chosen Ones appeared once again. One of the heroes of that tale was Kaien Suzaku. The only Chosen One who is able to control a specific kind of flame. He, along with the other heroes of that time, brought peace back and thwarted another of Chaos' plan to power."

"Wait, you're saying this guy's a Chosen One too?" Shinya asked, surprised to hear that a Chosen One from that long ago would still be alive today.

Kaien laughed, "I used to be a Chosen One but... that was a very long time ago. Now, I am a guardian of the world tree and I've been a guardian for a long time now as well."

"But... how did you end up guarding the world tree? Why does the tree even need someone to guard it?" Izumi asked. She knows a bit about the world tree but this was the first time she heard of someone guarding the tree.

Kaien turned around to face at the giant tree over at the distance, his eyes betrayed the smile in his face for his eyes held a bit of sadness in them. Talking about these things were bringing memories back to him.

He then turns back around, the moment of sadness in his eyes gone as he said, "Perhaps this is not the place to discuss that... as well as all the other matters that you all came here for. Come, Milanai will provide us some shade and to you, our visitors, some food as well."

Having said that, the group agrees and together they walked with Kaien towards the base of the giant tree that is Milanai.

* * *

"Damn it!" Kouichi shouted as he pounded his fist on the surface of the table. It would be an understatement to say that he is angry. "What the hell is going on?"

"Being angry about it won't help us get any answers, Kouichi." Lord Ishige Orimoto says, his eyes closed and his hands were crossed on his chest. "Besides, we are not really sure that it was Takuya that you all saw. For all we know it could be Shinya."

"No." Kouji said gloomily. "Kouichi was far off but he did manage to see the color of that man's eyes and it was definitely the same heterochromia eyes as Takuya have."

Kouichi nodded. He really did see the color of that man's eyes. "Without a doubt, that is Takuya for sure but...what the heck happened to him? Why is he working for those guys now?"

"I am also wondering what had happened to Lady Izumi considering that she was supposed to be with him, right?" Junpei stated.

Lord Ishige nodded. He was thinking just that.

It has only been several hours since the group was reunited since those who had fought during Terrou's rampage arrived at the rendezvous point. As soon as they arrived, they decided to report everything that had happened during the battle to both Lord Ishige and the Leader, Yuriko.

"I understand that we are worried about the two of them," Yuriko spoke in a somber tone. "However, I believe we will find the answers out eventually. What we should focus on is preparing for the inevitable."

"Preparing for the inevitable?" Teppei asked.

"What do you mean, Lady Yuriko?" Tomoki followed with his own question.

Yuriko glanced at Ishige who was also looking at her. He nodded as if telling her that it was alright to tell their young comrades everything they know about what is about to transpire...at least, what they could guess that would happen.

"The Gates of Gaia." Yuriko said, her face was grim and serious.

"Gates of Gaia?" Every Chosen One in the room asked in unison.

Ishige nodded, "The Gates of Gaia. Back when Hiroaki and Shinya were not yet... well... evil... the King asked us to search for this mythical artifact. An artifact that can amplify a person's abilities and open a path to power that no one can possibly imagine...and maybe even a path to the goddess herself. At least, that's what the legends speak of."

"You all knew how hard a time that was for Chosen Ones, don't you?" Yuriko continued where Ishige left off, "In order to protect the other Chosen Ones – all of you, Ishige, Hiroaki and Shinya all agreed to look for the Gates of Gaia for the King. They believed that once the gates were found that the King would not need the Chosen Ones any more making the world safer for you all..."

"However, it would appear our beliefs were wrongly placed. What we had found during that time was not the real Gates of Gaia but just a shell." Ishige went on. "The King knew of this, as made apparent by the Queen's report. We also came to know that he needs the powers of the Chosen Ones in its purest form in order to open the true gate. He didn't have the means to do that before, however, by combining his powers with the Dark One, it would appear that they have found the method they could use to extract your powers... and they did."

"So... that means, with all of the Chosen One's powers already in their possession, they can now summon the true Gates of Gaia?"

The two older members of this little council nodded.

"But, what is their intention for summoning the true Gates of Gaia?" Tomoki asked. "It is strange to think that they are doing this just to have an audience with the goddess, as for ruling the whole world with unimaginable power, the King...no, Emperor, already has that power with the Dragon God of Darkness, right?"

"That is what's troubling me." Yuriko admitted. "However, we must be prepared to counterattack whatever the Emperor and his minions may be plotting to do now."

"That isn't much information." Kouji sighed. "But, I suppose it's better than absolutely nothing. So, what are we supposed to do now?"

"First, we need to find out whatever happened to my daughter." Lord Ishige said as he stood up. "There is no way I'm leaving that unanswered."

"Of course, Commander." Yuriko said, standing as well. "I must apologize for you all for what has happened. And, I must also apologize that you all must go on another mission just as soon as you got back."

Teppei grinned. "Don't worry about that too much, Leader. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to get this over with and rest. Don't you guys agree?"

Everyone nodded.

"Besides," Kouichi added, "if we're going to fight against Takuya, we really would need Izumi's help."

* * *

It was the most delicious food they have ever tasted. Everyone could not help but wonder what these mysterious food that they were eating were. But, no one wanted to ask Kaien about it.

When they were done eating and resting, everyone could not help but note how good they felt. It has been a while since they have felt so at peace. Soon, everyone was ready to ask and listen and to learn as much as they could from Kaien.

"So now, I answer your questions." Kaien said calmly.

They nodded.

"I remember your question before, Izumi, of why the World Tree would need a guardian such as myself." Kaien continued on. "The answer is really simple. During my time as a Chosen One, the World Tree was no longer as powerful as when it was first planted by Yuuki or when it first blossomed half a century later. You see, the power of the World Tree resides within the power of the humans and the pact that Yuuki has made with the goddess. However, many forgot about that pact and soon the World Tree began to wither, in order to keep it from dying, a Guardian needs to be around to protect it, in more ways than one. The World Tree is important after all. It not only serves as a reminder of the goddess and Yuuki's pact but also as a seal to keep Chaos from resurfacing in the world. However..."

"However?" Shinya asked, albeit he already could guess what he was about to say.

"It seems that even with my power and even with the tree still alive, Chaos has once again been revived." Kaien answered.

This revelation surprised everyone. How can it be possible that the God of Darkness would be revived without their knowing? This was something they inquired about with the Guardian of the World Tree.

"The human heart." That was Kaien's answer, and he began to elaborate. "Just as how Milanai feeds off the positive, the good in the human heart so too does Chaos grow stronger from feeding off the negative, the evil within the hearts of man. Since no human does not have evil in their hearts, he already has an upper hand. What's more, because everyone has that evil, he has grown far stronger than during the times Yuuki and his friends fought against him and during the time that me and my comrades fought against him."

"If Chaos has truly revived then why is it the whole world is not yet in ruins?" Katsuharu was the next one to ask.

"Simple. Because he has only just revived his powers are not yet with him. For the moment, he is but a shadow feeding off on another human's body, more specifically, the body of your father, the so-called Emperor." Kaien answered, his answer, of course, hoked his guests even further. "I believe that you all know he is being controlled and guessed it to be the work of an old king by the name of Luca – the very same emperor who was controlled by Chaos long before. That is true, Luca is controlling him and, at the same time, Luca is the god of darkness, therefore... Emperor Seraphim is being controlled by Chaos. If nothing is done about this soon, he too will suffer the same fate as Luca."

"Same fate as Luca? What do you mean?" The Queen asked.

"Have his soul and existence swallowed by Chaos." Kaien said, his eyes were closed as he did so. "If that happens, the man named Seraphim would no longer exist and he will forever be lost to you all."

"Then... what must we do to save my father?" Katsuharu asked, there was a hint of urgency in his voice. "Tell me. If there is anything I can do to save my father, I will do so."

"Those are brave words, Katsuharu." Kaien said, smiling. "As expected from a Prince. There is a way... you must force Chaos out of the Emperor's body. To do that, you must fight against him and win in a manner that would leave the Emperor pretty much battered and unable to fight with just enough power to live."

"What?" Katsuharu exclaimed in disbelief. "You want me to render my father powerless?"

"The only way for Chaos to leave his host is for the host's body to be in a dying state. That way, Chaos will be forced to abandon the host to save himself and search for a new host. If you manage to do that, it will make it easier for you to defeat him since Chaos is only vulnerable in that state of limbo of his." Kaien explained.

"That's...harsh." Izumi noted. He knew how impossible it would be for Katsuharu to do such a thing.

"It is. However, once Chaos has been removed from the Emperor's body, you can count on me and Milanai to do our best to ensure that he does not perish. I can promise you that much." Kaien said.

"Well, that's taken care of... for now." Shinya sighed, but his seriousness returned as he asked his next question. "Now, can I ask you about my brother?"

"There is a lot of things in this world that even I do not know or understand. That includes what has transpired between you and your brother, the transfer of power between you and him back then, as well as his current predicament." Kaien answered, the tone of his voice stated that he was genuinely sorry for his lack of knowledge at that particular topic. "However, I know one thing... someone manipulated what he saw in the Valley of the Mist."

"What do you mean?" Izumi and Shinya asked in unison.

"I'm not sure myself but, I could feel it when he activated the Mirror of Truth. Something was definitely wrong and I heard the faint words spoken to him falsely. Those words, that prophecy was a prophecy not intended for him and a prophecy that has long been fulfilled." Kaien replied. "In other words, someone was toying with him making sure that he starts to doubt himself, making sure that he is confused."

"But why? What would they gain by doing that?" Izumi asked.

"Confusion is one of darkness' most powerful allies. It allows Chaos to control and whisper dark thoughts to anyone easier when they are confused." Kaien replied. "I know that because I too almost fell prey to the Dark One."

"I have heard that that is why you earned the name, 'The Black Flames'." the Queen remembered the stories of the heroes of long ago that she have heard.

Kaien nodded. "I was the Chosen One of Fire. Of course, up until I met with Orianna, a female Dragon Knight who is a Chosen One of Wind, I didn't know about that. What's more, I blamed myself for the destruction of the village that took me in and that I grew up in. That grief, anger and confusion was enough for him to control me. I managed to break free of his grasp thanks to my friends however, since that time, whenever I use my power I could only generate black, inextinguishable flames. Flames that can only die when that which they are burning are turned to ash."

"Black... flames?" Shinya was dumbstruck. "Wait, why is it then that my flames are not like yours? I too have been controlled by the Dark One as well yet..."

Kaien looked at his fellow Chosen One of Fire and shook his head. "When he controlled you, your powers were no longer with you but rather, was transferred to your brother. However, as for Takuya's case... it is safe to assume that he would have the same kind of flame as I."

"Then... how are we to defeat him if we can't defeat his flames?" Katsuharu asked. "Not only that but we had the majority of our powers extracted from us and that includes our Guardian Spirits. What we have now are only a fraction of our powers."

"I am sure you have heard of this before, Izumi, however, let me say it for the sake of your companions: "A Chosen One's power does not rely solely on his or her Guardian Spirit nor does it rely on his or her ability to control the elements. There is more to being a Chosen One than just that. A secret that Chaos knows through his battle with the Chosen Ones of the past, and that secret I will pass down to you all."

"A...secret?" Izumi asked.

"About Chosen Ones?" Katsuharu gaped.

"Yes." Kaien said as he looked up at the Milanai's leaves and branches swaying as a wind blow. "A secret that can help you bring Takuya back to his senses and defeat Chaos...Also, Chaos' intentions, the reason why he extracted your powers. That knowledge will help you in fighting against him."

* * *

**To be Continued...**

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**Post Author's Notes**

Well, that's that for this chapter.

Quite honestly, though, I feel a bit disappointed having only earned a single review from the previous chapter during the time that I was writing this. I had hoped for more reviews than that. However, there were a lot of hits on the chapter and fanfic, albeit I am not sure if those hits translate to the number of people currently reading the fanfic.

Anyways, can't do much about that. I suppose everyone's in a bit of a hurry and had no time to review. That is why, I would like to give a special thank you to **utsukushii04** for giving a review for the previous chapter.

Having said that, I am going to try and update once again either on Wednesday or Thursday this week (as long as I have the free time to do so). Anyways, I hope to get some reviews from this chapter. Note that the history here and the stories/explanations given are from the second game of the CoE trilogy (of which RotM is a part of). You can learn more about that from my blog/website.

Well, that's all for tonight. This is Sakura Martinez saying PEACE and signing out. Hope you guys have a great week and don't forget to review this chapter! Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**


	61. When the Past and Present Collide

**A Digimon Frontier AU Fanfic**

**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes:**

Hi guys.

I have to say that despite the lack of reviews, I quite amazed by the number of unique visitor hits I got from the previous chapter. I just hope that those hits mean a lot of people are still reading this fanfic.

Well, I sincerely hope you all enjoy this update.

**End of Author's Note**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**When Past and Present Collide**

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"In the beginning there was nothing but infinite darkness. There was no life above nor below. There was no feeling of warmth nor of cold. Nothing existed and nothing perished."

"The eternity of darkness was broken, however, when the three Celestial Beings: Elmire of the Stars, Uuranor of the Moon, and Kuu of the Sun, came into the darkness with the help of a great ball of fire. For the first time in that part of space, there was warmth and a sense of life."

"From these three heavenly beings, two more were born and these two new Celestians became the creators of Endlessia and the god and goddess of that realm. These two are none other than Lumina the Goddess of Light and Chaos the God of Darkness. With their combined prowess, they created a world filled with mystery, beauty and wonder. With the world created, they began populating it with all sorts of life-life with different races, kinds, shape and form, and they endowed them with free will."

"The world prospered beyond anything the world could have imagined or dream of. Peace reigned for a very long time thanks to the combined efforts of Lumina and Chaos. However, nothing is without end."

"Humans, one of the four dominant species in Endlessia, began to grow and learn. However, not everything that they come to learn are good for soon they learned what evil is. Soon humans came to know pride, envy, wrath, greed, gluttony, sloth and lust. Still, despite what faults humans come to earn, Lumina and Chaos continued to watch over them and hope for them. That is... Until the time came that Chaos also came to know these evil."

"Lumina had always been able to come and go into the world as she pleases. Because of this, Chaos began to grow envious of her. He too desired to walk in the world. However, Lumina forbade him for she knew what would happen if the God of Darkness walks in the world of mortals. Chaos was, after all, the lord of destruction as Lumina was the lady of regeneration. That was the task given to them by the three Celestians before them."

"Chaos could not understand, however, why his own brethren would try and stop him from going to the land of the mortals. It angered him and he started to feel hatred and jealousy towards Lumina. His hatred and jealousy grew when the Celestians returned and gave them a gift - a gift that only Lumina could use. What the three Celestians gave them was the Holy Sword, Eos."

"Many more events occurred that caused Chaos to disregard. Lumina and the laws of balance. He secretly went on expeditions in Endlessia causing wars of any form and magnitude to suddenly occur. He got himself drunk with the world-with power, wine, and women that soon he desired never to return to the heavens but rather, rule the world of mortals."

"His desire for power and his growing greed caused Chaos to wage war against Lumina in order to get hold of the most powerful weapon in existence and destroy the only one standing on his way. Saddened by Chaos' treachery and betrayal but also having no choice but to defend herself, Endlessia and its denizens, Lumina fought against Chaos. Many rallied themselves with the God of Darkness who promised them power and immortality along with worldly pleasures but, there are also those who harkened to the call of the Goddess of Light."

"The war continued on and on. Many perished including civilians, and a large part of the world came into ruin because of this war. As the war raged on, Chaos' forces grew in number and strength that soon, it was apparent that they would be victorious."

"It was then that the tenacity of humans came to light as, despite the lack of forces and the fact that they were being held back by Chaos' minions they continued to fight with the flames of hope burning strongly in their hearts. The other races who were in that fray watched in awe at the strength the handful of human allies that they have were showing. Soon their allies came to call them Lumina's Dragon Gods, the generals of Lumina's army and the Ten Pillars of Endlessia. These were the first heroes in Endlessia's history. And they were the very first Chosen Ones whom Lumina bestowed powers to."

"With the aide of the Dragon Gods, Lumina's forces managed to meet head-on with their foes. However, Lumina knew that the war would not end until either of them were destroyed. With a heavy heart, Lumina came to a decision. Wielding the Holy Sword, Eos, Lumina destroyed Chaos' capital city, sinking it and the evil-hearted men along with it. With Eos and a magnitude of her powers and the powers of those who stood with her, she managed to seal Chaos. But, that seal came with a price."

"The Holy Sword was torn into pieces; The Dragon Gods lost most of their powers; and, Lumina had to go into slumber for a millenia to recover the powers she used during that long war. However, before her slumber, she instructed the Dragon Gods, her Generals, on what they should do. She told them to build a church in honor of those who had fought valiantly along her side and fell in battle, so that they would always remember them. She also told them to build a church in remembrance to Chaos, so that all would remember what evil is capable of doing. She then gave them a tome and told them that, so long as they follow what was written in the tome, peace and prosperity would always reign in the world."

"The tome handed to them was none other than the Dragon Tome and, the only one who was capable of opening the tome and reading its contents was the youngest of the Dragon Gods. It was none other than Valthoria. As he was the one who was able to read and guide the world into prosperity and peace as the goddess intended, he became known as the Elder. When the Council of Endlessia was put into order, with the Dragon Gods members of the Grand Council of Endlessia, he became known as the Grand Council Master."

"Soon after the four ancient kingdoms of Endlessia was born. Everyone was happy and soon, everyone began to forget the war that had almost caused Endlessia's destruction. The denizens of Endlessia, excluding the elven races, began to slowly, but surely, turn back into their evil ways. Chaos, however, never forgot, as he continued to bid his time knowing that he will soon be released by humans from his prison. ""

"Soon another war erupted. This time it was between the Keepers of Chaos, those who were tasked to keep watch over the seal, and the Knights of the Holy Order of Endlessia, those who were warriors under the Church of Lumina. It was then that Lumina awoke from her slumber. However, there was nothing she could do to put an end to the war as her powers were still recuperating. She entrusted the fate of the world unto the tome and unto the denizens of Endlessia whom she believe would follow the words on the tome down to the letter."

"True enough, they did. As the tome had predicted, the Knights of the Holy Order won the battle. However, hatred was born in this war for in this war a group of humans first began to plan for the destruction of the tome. It was the war that turned Gawain into a path that led to the resurrection of Chaos. And from there the story of the Chosen Ones was once again heard, this time they embodied Yuuki Granatis' friends."

"Yuuki was the one who made a pact with the goddess. A pact that allowed humans to regain their free will, unchained from the Dragon Tome. A pact that allowed the world to create their own history rather than live through what the tome and the goddess had written for them. That is what the World Tree symbolizes-the pact between Yuuki and the goddess. Yuuki was able to do so much more than what the Chosen Ones during his time could. Even during my time, none of us came close to what he was able to accomplish."

"I, however, am a complete opposite of the great hero. I wanted nothing to do with the world or their wars despite being born with what my parents said was 'a power to change the world'. I hated whatever that power was. I hated it so much that I ran away from home-from my family, my responsibilities, and from those who wished to use my power to conquer."

"I came across a small village and I decided to hide there. I changed my name and did all I had to do to make sure that no one would come for me to drag me back. I thought I managed to do just that when the consequences of my actions finally caught up with me. I saw the village who took me in and the villagers who took care of me burn from the flames that I was able to suddenly conjure but did not know how to control."

"I was engulfed in grief that, without my knowledge, Chaos had managed to soil my powers and my mind. It took a while but eventually he did manage to control me and use me for his bidding. The memories of that time continue to play in my mind even now."

"But, I was freed from Chaos' control thanks to the people whom I have met and who still believed that I was their friend despite betraying them. The dark flames that I wield, the flames born from me as a Chosen One, I was finally able to control. Together with the other Chosen Ones we managed to summon Eos and with it, seal Chaos once again. However, during the battle with Chaos, the World Tree was wounded and it began to wither. Lumina tells us that the only way to salvage the tree and strengthen the seal on Chaos was if someone would sacrifice themselves to heal the tree with their life force and be one with it."

"A friend and ally of mine, and the wielder of Eos, Shinji presented himself. However, I decided that it was time for me to atone for my mistakes and to clean up the mess that I made. And so, during the moment that Shinji was about to make his sacrifice, I jumped in and took the responsibility unto myself. Thus, I became the Guardian of the World Tree."

Kaien breathe a sigh of relief as he finished telling his story. He looked at Milanai's guests and saw the awed yet confused expression on their faces.

"Why did you tell us that story?" Questioned Shinya. "Is there supposed to be a hiding meaning behind it?"

"Yes and no." Shinya answered. "In order to defeat your enemy, you need to know as much about them as you can. You have to know what drives them to act as they do. Chaos, as you have heard, was not evil in the beginning. In the course of our history, Chaos was not the only one who did wrong."

"I still don't understand," Izumi spoke, "are you saying we should sympathize with him?"

"No. That approach in dealing with Chaos had failed. But, knowing his past, one can deduce what he is truly after...Lumina."

"Revenge, huh?" Katsuharu said, his hand on his chin as he was thinking.

Kaien nodded. "Chaos had repeatedly fell every time he sets his eyes on the world and its people. I believe he now understands that he cannot reign as a supreme being on Endlessia as long as Lumina stands in his way-indirectly or directly."

"But hasn't Chaos been banished from the land of Celestians? How does he plan on fighting the goddess if the goddess can no longer set foot here?" It was the Queen who asked.

"It is precisely the reason why they extracted the powers d the Chosen Ones." Kaien replied.

It was then that realization dawned to both the Queen and Shinya. Suddenly they understood.

"The Gates of Gaia!" Queen Ophania and Shinya concluded in unison.

Kaien nodded. "The last of the artifacts bestowed by the goddess to the people and...the door to the land of the Celestians."

* * *

The wind felt cold to his face as the airship that was carrying him and his men flew over and pass mountains and valleys at the fastest speed that it could carry them.

They knew they had little time left - days at the least - before the Empire makes their move. They had to at least be prepared for it, prepared for an all out war. This was the reason why he proposed to traverse the globe in search for allies-fellow rebels who believed that the Empire was doing something wrong, and even those who could percieve what the Empire may and is planning. He was surprised, however, when a lot of people from the different races of Endlessia rallied under their banner.

Now, they were headed for the last island where they learned of an existence of another rebel group.

As he thinks of those that may lay ahead of their path, he cannot help but also look back on what brought them to this predicament-another betrayal from another Kanbara.

He sighed. He had trusted the boy and now he was left with nothing but confusion. Why did Takuya chose to betray them? Did Takuya not love his daughter? He wanted answers from him and he intends to get them.

"I hope you are not planning on killing my son, Ishige." Yuriko Kanbara spoke as she joined him at the airship's deck.

"It depends on how he explains himself. I cannot make promises that I won't hurt him, that is for certain." Replied Ishige Orimoto.

Yuriko remained silent then, after a while she spoke. "I don't think I would allow you to do such a thing, Ishige. He is still my son, after all. Should you desire to kill him, I can assure you that I would stand in your way."

Ishige closed his eyes for a while before he said, "When you put it like that, it makes it hard for me to even think of killing him. I wouldn't be able to force myself to attack if you stand in our way. I value our friendship way too much."

Yuriko smiled. Ishige's kindness and values were among the things that remained constant through the years.

"I have doubts about this island, Ishige, and so do the others. You do know whom this island belongs to, don't you?" Yuriko voiced out.

Ishige nodded, "Yes. I am aware of that. However, they may prove to be valuable allies in this fight. That, and I have this strange premonition that we may learn something from them."

"I sure hope that they will see us as eye-to-eye with this." Yuriko sighed. They could see the crescent-shaped island now.

"As do I." Agreed Ishige.

* * *

The tale they were told was a long one that ate up their whole afternoon. When the story was finally told and when all of their questions had finally been answered, night had crept in blanketing the whole island in darkness with only the full moon and the stars as their light.

The view from the small hill where they were staying under the bosoms of the World Tree was stunning and magical. The whole ocean lay before them, calm and beckoning, sparkling with the light of the millions of stars that it reflected on its placid waters. The reflection created an illusion of the galaxy and the sound of the waves crashing the shore was melodic to say the least. It had a calming effect on everyone and it helped them sleep despite the many thoughts swirling about in their mind.

However, not everyone was easily lured to sleep by the orchestral sounds of the island. One person, Shinya, could not manage to allow sleep to take over him just yet. And so, he stood by the side of the hill that faced the direction of Harim. His memories taking him back to the day Takuya was taken.

He sighed. Regret had always been haunting him for so many reasons. He had done things, terrible things under the influence of the dark one. His pride has been his fatal flaw and now he wonders if failing to let go is also one of them.

Shinya was snapped from his thoughts when Kaien stood next to him and spoke.

"Was it too much for you? The things that you have learned from here, I mean."

"A bit. It was all too surreal but it does explain things that had been eluding me." Shinya replied. "I guess we have quite a common thing between us, Kaien. However, the big difference is that you chose to turn back whilst I chose the path of pride."

Kaien nodded. "Did you ever regret your decision on becoming the Guardian of the World Tree?"

Kaien had expected that question. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he answered. "From time to time. Whenever I remember my friends, I can't help but wish that things could have ended differently. That there would not have been any need for a Guardian. But, I do know that the choice I made was the right one."

They both then talked about a lot of things after that. So many things that only Shinya and Kaien could ever understand about each other, after all, they were similar in so many ways. Minutes turned to hours until soon Shinya decided to ask one of the questions he had wanted to ask the Guardian of the World Tree...

"You must miss them terribly.". Shinya said referring to Kaien's friends and remembering his own set of family and friends - the people with whom he can no longer return to.

Kaien nodded. For a second his eyes were filled with sadness but soon, Shinya noted, they were overcome with hope.

"Yes. I do miss them terribly. They have long been gone. But, it won't be long now 'til my mission is complete and I shall finally be able to meet with them.". Kaien said. He then faced Shinya. Masked with seriousness he added, "Soon a new Guardian will be born from a choice that will be made."

Kaien then turned around and as he walked back to where the others were resting he said, "You should rest, tomorrow the final chapter of this prolonged battle with Chaos will finally begin. You will need all the energy you can muster if you're planning on saving your little brother."

Shinya could not help but think, as he slowly drifted to sleep several minutes later, that Kaien was hinting something to him, something that he cannot say out loud. But before he could comprehend what it was, sleep had taken him.

* * *

One thing was clear when they entered the forest where they knew they would find those that they were looking for. They were being expected.

Bearing torches that caused shadows to dance and bows whose arrows can swiftly fell an enemy, they were welcomed by dozens of armed Elven Folks-the last of their once proud race.

Awe was evident on the group led by Lord Ishige with the Chosen Ones and a number of rebels and brothers-in-arms. They had, with the exception of Lord Ishige and the Leader, always thought that the Elves were no more. That they were now just ancient legends and myths. However, here they were standing among them.

The eldest-looking of the Elven Folks stepped forward. He was the only one who wasn't carrying anything in his hands. He has a moonlight pale complexion and silvery colored eyes. His hair was long and was platinum in color, much like the rest of his brethren. He wore a tunic underneath his armor and a golden circlet on his head.

"We have been waiting for you." He said, his voice had a melody in them that they could not comprehend. "We are ready to fight for our world yet again."

If they were expecting them to say anything, this was not what they expected. They were not even sure what was going on any more.

"You have come to ask for our aide, have you not?" The elder elf asked.

"Y-Yes." Ishige managed to reply. "That and we also came to ask you a question."

"About Chaos and his plans? I know." the elder said.

Suddenly Ishige and his men perked up. "Chaos?" They all thought, "Was it not the Emperor whom they were fighting against?"

Ishige decided it best to question this. "Chaos? I don't understand. We are here to ask you for your help in dealing with the Emperor and his now-twisted Empire."

"That is right. The Empire, the Emperor – they are Chaos' doing." The elder said, and seeing the confused look on the Commander's face and the face of the Chosen Ones with him, and of the rebels that were in his faction, he added, "I will explain everything on your airship. Our time is running short just standing around here."

Ishige nodded, and just like that, he led their new found allies back to the airship.

Once there the elder did not waste any time as he immediately told them all that he knew. About Chaos and Lumina, about the wars of the Chosen Ones of the past and of a prophecy. The last of the prophecies from the Dragon Tome handed and spoken to them by the goddess with the aide of Oriana, a Chosen One of that time.

"When the time comes for the seven waves to crash on the shores of promise, the gates to the kingdom will open and the forgotten shall rise to claim the throne. Only when the chosen who is mirrored by light and darkness call forth the joining of the hearts that will create a stream which will call forth a miracle to lay a path of hope, will the forgotten be no more." The elder recited the prophecy. It was the truth hidden within a play of words, a riddle.

"What does that mean?" Tomoki asked. "It doesn't make any sense to me?"

"We were only told to remember and pass down the prophecy, not to interpret it. However, my people believe that the chosen ones here are the chosen of light and darkness." The elder answered.

"Then, the people in the prophecy are me and my brother?" Kouji asked as he looked over at Kouichi. Who would have ever thought that there would be a prophecy about them? Certainly not themselves.

The elder nodded.

"So, where are we supposed to head now? Should we head towards the capital and wage our war to the Emperor?" Junpei asked.

"No." The elder suddenly spoke, he then turned towards Ishige and Yuriko and said, "I believe you both know where we are supposed to head to."

Sure enough, they both nodded. They were heading to the place where it all began, the island with the Gates of Gaia, the unnamed island.

* * *

"The time is dawning upon us," bellowed a hallowed voice. It came from the Emperor, Seraphim, who sat on his throne covered in shadows dancing and writhing like the flames of a candle. Despite the Emperor moving his lips, it does not seem however, that it was really his voice whom the people in his throne room was hearing. Those who knew better, knew that it was the voice of Chaos. "the time has finally come for this to end according to my plans."

Cheers erupted from the people in the throne room as well as the other creatures of the night who were in there as well supporting the ideals of their lord.

"Tonight we head for the gates that will lead us to paradise!" the Emperor continued, "And tomorrow, we shall finally have the world in our finger tips!"

Cheers erupted yet again. Behind the shadows of the cheers, there stood Takuya, wearing a black, cloak and underneath it, he was wearing the very same dark armor that Shinya had worn before. He felt stronger, more powerful, than he had been before and he saw the changes in his power when he attacked a follower of Chaos questioning about his loyalty to their lord. That fool burned to death in an unquenchable dark flame. For some reason, it felt good to just let go like that.

However, despite that, there was something nagging at the back of his mind. Something he could not pinpoint as he hears the Emperor's speech. He felt like every time he tries to grasp what it was, it would fly out of reach, leaving him all the more confused.

He was taken from his thoughts when he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around him. He knew who it was, she had been clingy ever since they arrived at the castle.

"What is it, Chiaki?" Takuya asked, there was nothing in his voice to tell whether he was annoyed or if he was liking the attention.

"Oh, it's nothing." She replied, a smile on her lips. "You were just so deep in thought."

Chiaki tightened her hold on Takuya and placed her head on his shoulder. He was hers now. Nothing Izumi could do would break the spell placed on Takuya, she was sure of it. The Dark One promised.

Takuya did not say anything, that nagging feeling was starting to creep back at him. As if wanting to tell him something but being muffled and failing to do so.

Chiaki placed her hand on his face and guided it to look at her. His eyes, she noted, were empty but that was fine by her. As long as she has him, nothing else matters. Slowly, and as if robotically, he leaned towards her.

Before their lips met, the nagging sensation in the back of Takuya's head went haywire. And somehow he begins to question why he felt so wrong.

* * *

**To be Continued...**

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**Post Author's Notes:**

Well, this was a pretty long chapter. Thanks to having Docs to Go on my iPhone, I managed to complete this chapter.

This chapter is, first and foremost, a little back story to help you all understand what the ending would be. Also, I have hinted here of the ending (at least, one of the many scenes from it). The Prophecy stated here is also something to think about for those who want to spoil themselves to what will happen in the future chapters.

Having said that, I do hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Having a sprained wrist is making it hard for me to type but, it is even harder for me stop writing/typing once I get myself started on it. It's like a drug that I can't seem to get enough of, lol.

Anyways, that's all the time I have for now. Hope you guys review and tell me what you think of it. If you read my blog at Sakura no Kokoro, you will know the reason behind the late update (plus you will read about some other things as well, XD).

Until next time, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and greeting the citizens of the USA a happy 4th of July!

**End of Post Author's Notes**


	62. Reunion At the Doors of Fate

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**  
**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes:**

I know. I know. I am way, waaaaay behind schedule. Work has been nothing but hectic and I had been left with so few a time to write. I can't force myself to write considering that every time I go home, I end up going to bed and resting. *sigh* Life is just way too tough. XD

Anywho, I hope this chapter would be enough to put you all at the edge of your seats. Enjoy!

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Reunion At the Doors of Fate**

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They stood on the shore, ready to board the vessel that would take them to the unnamed island where Kaien had told them would lead them to the final battle.

Kaien could note the look of worry in the faces of these people who now held the fate of the whole world in their hands. It was, of course, normal. Who wouldn't be worried about something like this? Kaien knew that they all believed their mission was only for the Kingdom of Frontiria but now, he had imparted his knowledge and told them that it is much bigger than the Kingdom.

"The time has come for you all to set sail to the place where it all began," He told them, a smile was on his lips. He knew all too well how they must be feeling. "I have told you all I can. Even if I cannot leave this place now, know that I will still try and help you, should the time come that you need help. Milanai feels the same way."

The wind blew around them, carrying leaves from Milanai, as if the giant, sacred tree agrees on what Kaien had said.

The Chosen Ones that were present nodded but did not say a word.

"_Was this how we looked like before we faced the final battle?_" Kaien could not help but wonder to himself as he chuckled causing everyone to look at his direction with a confused look on their face.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I just can't help but wonder if we looked the same way as you do now before we made our way to face Chaos all those years ago... I can still remember how worried and anxious we all were. If it weren't for what Shinji said, we would have been shaking as we made our way to face the Dark Lord."

"What Shinji said?" Izumi asked, she was curious.

Kaien nodded. "Shinji was always finding ways to bolster everyones confidence. But even that time, he was shaking. He was a descendant of the Goddess, you see. So, Chaos really had it in for him. When I pointed out to him how he was shaking in his boots, he just shouted, "So what?" at me and pointed out that I was shaking too. We all were."

"And here I was thinking that Shinji guy said something worth quoting." Katsuharu said as he shrugged.

"That actually helped us out, you know." Kaien said. "Because we just ended up laughing soon after that. The point is, you're not the only one who has felt fear. That's normal. But you have to take courage and move forward. Just like how all the others before you have done."

Shinya nodded, and so too did the others.

"Well, I have kept you long enough. You should go." Kaien said. Then he moved forward and extended his hand to Shinya. "I am truly glad to have finally met you, Shinya. Although I could have wished it were under better circumstances."

Shinya looked at Kaien's hand and then at Kaien. He nodded and shook Kaien's hand. The moment that he did so, he felt a tingling sensation, as he felt Kaien giving him some of his power. It felt warm and welcoming unlike how he usually feels when he taps into the dark power given to him by Chaos.

Shinya looked at Kaien, his eyes were filled with questions but Shinya saw the look of confidence in Kaien's eyes.

Kaien moved forward, their hands still locked in a handshake, as he whispered to Shinya's ear, "This should help should things get rough...but, you will need the faith and help of the others."

Kaien then let Shinya's hand go, and face the others. He then gave them one final reminder before the group set sail towards the unnamed island.

"Remember, you are not alone. Alone you may be powerful but together...together you can be even greater."

* * *

He watched as a number of knights boarded the large vessels that would take them to their destination. There were many of them and he wondered if all of these people are really needed, they were already strong along with those infused with the power extracted from the Chosen Ones, Takuya knew that nothing could possibly stand in their way. Why was there a need to bring so many?

"What's wrong, Takuya?" The Emperor, Seraphim asked as he walked towards him. The Emperor's eyes glowing bloody-red.

"I was just thinking, you're majesty." Takuya replied, his voice held no expression in them.

"Thinking?" An amused tone could he heard from the puppet-Emperor.

Takuya nodded. He still found it strange that the Emperor would be so nice to him as he decided to ask his question. "Why should we take all these men with us? They will only slow us down."

The emperor looked at the knights boarding the vessels and then he replied, "They would prove useful against the rebels. I am sure they would be meeting us head-on now."

He then looked at Takuya, wondering what reaction the young man would have upon hearing of the people that were once his allies. There was nothing. Takuya did not even flinch. His composure didn't change. Takuya, apparently, no longer cares for those people.

The Emperor smiled.

Takuya was a rare case, just like the Minami twins, and he was going to make use of them as long as he can. And, as long as they proved themselves useful.

* * *

More than a dozen boats, airships, and all sorts of warships rallied behind them in support as they made their way to the unnamed island. They had only one thing in mind - to put a stop to the Emperor's plans and usher forth an age of true peace in the land.

The Kingdom of Ophania and the Republic of Cherubin, neighbors of the Kingdom of Frontiria, all gave their support upon learning of what the so-called 'Emperor', Seraphim is planning to do. Borders did not matter any more, neither did the fact that the relationship was strained. It was more than just becoming more powerful than the others, it was now about the fate of the world. It was, in all respects, bigger than them and their petty arguments and differences.

In all honesty, neither Ishige nor Yuriko expected to see this many people willing to fight with them. Nor did they expect them to know as much as they do about what tidings the dark storm clouds in the distance was harboring. It was a pleasant surprise to see the Kingdom of Ophania and the Republic of Cherubin working with them hand in hand. Of course, the leaders of both factions were not with them physically, they merely sent representatives. Nonetheless, these representatives stressed that their leaders are behind them with full support.

Ishige looked on in the distance, to where the storm clouds were gathering. It was a sign that they were nearing their destination. He remembered the same storm that had threatened to put a stop to their mission all those years ago, and now, he has come again.

The wind was cold and the waves were crashing hard on the side of the ship, rocking it back and forth, as if to say that humans have no place on that accursed island. But, the 'rebels', as the Empire has branded them, still moved forward. Never backing down on nature's challenge and never flinching. They were that much determined.

"So, that was the storm you spoke of in your stories, Ishige?" Yuriko asked as she walked beside him, her hands were on the railings to help her as the ship rocked.

Ishige was surprised but managed to reply with a nod followed by a reprimanding statement, "You should not be out here, Yuriko. The weather is dangerous. You may fall overboard and..."

"You worry too much." Yuriko cut him before he can continue on with what he was saying. "I am not so weak and feeble as to be thrown off of this ship."

"Ah...of course. I didn't mean it like that, though." Ishige smiled sheepishly. How many times had he forgotten that Hiroaki's wife was, and still is, a strong-willed woman?

He turn his gaze back on the storm that they would meet head on. His brows were furrowed.

"Do you suppose Takuya is waiting for us there?" Yuriko managed to ask.

Ishige looked back at Yuriko and stared at her for a while. He then shook his head and returned back to the storm, "If he has indeed allied himself with the enemy, then I am certain that he will be there, waiting and willing to take down any and all who oppose the Emperor."

There was silence. Ishige knew that, despite how she had hidden her identity to her son and despite how hard she was with him, Yuriko was still a mother and he knew that there wasn't a moment when Yuriko was not worried for her son's safety.

"I cannot promise that I will not harm him, though." Ishige managed to speak out his thoughts. "If he decides to fight against us...or if he... caused pain to my daughter, I will give him his due punishment. You understand that, don't you, Yuriko?"

Yuriko did not speak and Ishige did not press on the matter further. He wasn't really asking for permission to beat the heck out of Takuya for what he has done but rather, he was telling her what he intends to do.

Ishige then turns around to face Yuriko and said, "Let us return inside. We're already dangerously close to the storm and it would be foolish to stay out here much longer in this kind of weather."

"Yes, of course." Yuriko found her voice to speak.

And with that, the two went back inside the ship, leaving Kouji, who had been eavesdropping on their converstaion with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"If that is how it comes down to," Kouji thinks to himself as he waited several more seconds before going inside the ship himself, "I will have no choice but to fight against you Takuya...and I can't promise that I will hold back in that fight."

* * *

She had never experienced travelling under such dangerous weather in the ocean. Of course, Izumi would know nothing about the journey under the storm that she and Takuya underwent when she was still training under Haruko and was unconscious. The storm itself was scary enough, add that to the creaking and the powerful rocking and jolting of the ship and it was just plain unnerving. Somehow, Izumi could not help but wonder what Takuya would be doing if he was with them. That thought made Izumi sad and her heart wrought with pain.

Every time she closed her eyes, even after hearing what Kaien has to say and what Shinya has promised, she can still see those cold eyes filled with nothingness looking down at her. Her body trembled as it remembered what it had undergone when Takuya extracted her power from her.

She shook her head, forcing those dark thoughts away. She was already scared and she didn't want to feel depressed and bitter as well.

Thunder boomed in the distance, making the ship seem to shake even more than before. If she didn't know any better, she would have guessed that they were at the eye of the storm by now. But, of course, she doesn't really know much about navigating, ocean storms and the likes.

A knock errupted at the door to her cabin, and the now-all-too-familiar voice of Shinya followed behind it.

"Mind if I come in?" He asked.

Izumi stood from where she sat and walked towards the door, opening it enough for Shinya to enter, and bidding him to do just that.

Shinya huffed a mere thanks and walked inside while Izumi went to close her door. She could guess that what he has to say was something that was meant for her ears only. How she figured that out, she could only guess.

Shinya eyed her, carefully regarding the features of her face before he spoke, "Stop worrying about the things in the past and the things that will come."

"Wha-what?" Izumi managed to ask, she was surprised to hear him say that. How did he know she was worried?

"That was what I felt Kaien was trying to tell us." Shinya shrugged. "You're worried about Takuya, even if you don't go on ahead and say it. It's quite obvious...what's even more obvious is the fact that you have yet to accept that we may have to cross swords with him."

Izumi did not know what to say to that. She can't even come up with a comeback to throw at him.

After a while, Izumi spoke.

"Did you come here just to tell me that?" She asked, she was still standing in front of the door.

Shinya shook his head.

"No." He replied. "I came because I believe you are the only one in this ship who can help me know more about my brother...about Takuya."

This caught Izumi by surprise.

"Learn more about Takuya? He's _your_ younger brother, isn't he? You should know more about him than I do." She told him.

Shinya turned around and allowed himself to lean on the wall of Izumi's cabin, his arms were crossed in front of his chest.

"I may be his brother but we were separated by fate for a very long time. My memories are a bit foggy as well. I know nothing about who he was when he was with you. How he grew up and things like that apart from the things I have learned while trying to hunt you and your friends down." He said. "So, I want you to tell me about him."

Izumi considered for a moment. She hadn't thought about that and, as much as she hated to admit it, she had also forgotten the fact that Shinya hadn't been with Takuya for the longest of time. It was only natural that he would know next to nothing about his brother now.

"I don't think I can help you much with that." She told him. "Takuya and I have met when 5 and we were only together as children for three years after that. My family had to move when my father was promoted to help with the Kingdom of Felis. We only met 10 years later when he was tasked with escorting me..."

Shinya thought for a moment, his brows were furrowed and he looked very much disturbed. Of course, Izumi was quick to notice this.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"It's just strange. You say that you and Takuya met when you were both five?"

Izumi nodded. "Yes. At Harim."

"That can't be right." Shinya said. "During that time, Takuya was living with our mother and I am certain that we lived not in Harim."

"Well, yes... Lord Kouta sealed our real memories and, even with both Takuya and myself knowing that, we still haven't quite managed to reclaim all of our memories from that time so..."

"Sealed your memories? I am guessing that it was a precaution made to protect you both from the king and from my father."

A nod was Izumi's answer.

"And you remember nothing at all about the truth? Nothing about your real childhood?" He asked, he wanted to make sure that they were clear on that.

Izumi nodded once again. "Takuya and I were on a journey to look for your mother and learn as much as we can about our past but..."

Shinya thought for a while. This was certainly going to be hard. He had hoped that she would tell him something valuable that he may use against Takuya – to bring him back to normal.

"Why are you asking me this?" Izumi asked.

Shinya looked at her. He looked so serious and so much like a younger version of Takuya.

"Because the memories of your time together, and of the person he once was, could help bring Takuya back. I think... I think that's what Kaien was trying to tell me before." Shinya replied. "He didn't tell us to kill Takuya, after all..."

Shinya paused for a while then pushed himself off of the wall. He then began to walk towards the door and opened it.

"I know how much trouble I have caused. I know the actions I took caused much pain to my brother and that my words probably do not mean much to those I have harmed and did wrong to but, I hope you will trust me when the time comes, Izumi." Shinya said as he walked outside Izumi's room. "I am guessing your friends would want a piece of him and may want to fight against him but, I ask that you stop them from doing just that."

"What are you planning to do?" Izumi asked, whirling around to face the older Kanbara.

He did not reply. It was too soon to say, after all.

* * *

The ships were moored by the shore of the island, which looked very gloomy with the storm clouds looming above. The airships were strategically parked near the ships. One by one, the rebels disembarked on their vessel and slowly made camp away from the towering structure and the Emperor's minions. They made themselves as discrete as possible, making sure not to alert any guards that may have been awaiting their arrival.

The chosen ones: Kouji, Kouichi, Tomoki, Junpei and Teppei were all wearing battle armor courtesy of the elven folks that have rallied behind them and they stood, along with Ishige and Yuriko, who were both wearing their own equipment, and the leaders of the various sects and factions that have rallied under their banner.

"It would appear that the Royal Guards have all been brought here." Ishige spoke at the war council. "I would estimate that at about ten thousand of the best knights in the kingdom."

"Then we have the advantage in numbers." The representative of the Republic of Cherubin said. "We have fifty thousand men with us."

"Yes but, we don't know what the Emperor or his commanders have planned. We may have the numbers but if we are not careful, this may very well be a trap." Kouichi voiced his opinion. "We can't go rushing in at them."

"Kouichi is right." Ishige said. "It would be best to be careful and strike at the heart of the problem rather than face the army head on."

"Are you suggesting we go and face Seraphim head on?" the representative of the Kingdom of Ophania asked. "Isn't that a bit dangerous? I heard he has gained some sort of evil power.

Murmurs errupted in the council.

"That is true," the elven folk elder said. "however, a prophecy has been made on how to defeat our enemy. We have the very ones who will be able to put a stop to his vile plans: the chosen of light and darkness, Kouji and Kouichi. As long as we have them with us and follow the prophecy, we will be victorious as those from the past."

Kouichi looked at Kouji who looked unfazed by just how much was expected of them. Kouichi couild not help but notice the look of concentration in Kouji's face. It was as if his twin has decided on what to do.

"And can we be certain of this prophecy?" A warrior asked.

Ishige nodded and so did Yuriko. They had nothing else to put their hopes on, as it would seem.

The leaders on the war council thought for a moment before agreeing to leave everything in the hands of the Chosen Ones. Soon a plan was made and it involved the Chosen Ones sneaking past the guards stationed at the entrance to the tower while most of the rebels provide the guards with a distraction. Once inside, the Chosen Ones were to find and use any methods necessary to ensure that the emperor does not activate the artifact within the tower.

It sounded simple enough but everyone knew that the chances of them actually managing to do that without any hitches were really, really low.

After the meeting was adjurned, everyone returned to their own tents to prepare. Once they have done just that, the mission comenced.

It wasn't hard to catch the Royal Guard's attention. After all, they were instructed to annihilate all rebels that may come to the island. It didn't take long before a battle between the rebels and the Royal Guards ensued. And, as planned, the guards guarding the entrance to the tower all vacated the post and joined in the fray, leaving the entrance wide open for the small group of Chosen Ones to enter.

Kouji's group hurridly made their way to the entrance and sneak pass the other guards who were running towards the battlefield, their weapons at the ready.

Once inside, they were amazed at how old the inside of the structure were and how much damage the Royal Knights had brought to it. The path they had to take was fairly obvious, for there was no where else to go but forward.

After a long while of walking, ducking out of the way, walking and sneaking, the group finally made their way down the set of stairs. Further and further down did they go and they were surprised to see that there were no guards guarding the lower sections of the tower.

Slowly, the group made their way forward, careful not to be too laxed and end up in an ambush. However, what awaited them at the end of this path was not something they had expected.

Standing in front of a large, silver door were three figures that they had not hoped to see so soon.

"It can't be...Izumi, is that you?" Kouji called out as he started out slowly to make his way towards her.

When Izumi turned around to face the person who had called her, she was as surprised to see the others. And when Kouji saw that it was indeed Izumi, his walk turned into a run. The others followed suit but stopped as they saw who was with her: Katsuharu and Shinya.

"You!" Kouji said as he readied himself for battle. "Have you come here to deliver Izumi to your Master?"

Shinya looked at Kouji with a hint of annoyance in his face. He certainly was not amuzed at the deduction the young Knight had come up with.

"No, Kouji, stop. It's alright." Izumi said, defending her two companions. "They are not keeping me captive nor are they planning on handing me over to the Emperor..."

"That is true." Katsuharu spoke. "It would be pointless to do that now."

"Pointless?" Kouichi asked, then he realized what he meant. "You mean...!"

Izumi nodded as Shinya turned around to face the giant door blocking their path once more.

"Takuya was the one who did it." He said. "Such irony."

"S-so, Takuya really had gone over to the other side." Tomoki said, it seemed as though he was hoping that they were wrong about their friend.

Shinya nodded but said nothing. Instead, he muttered at how strange the door was and how it had not been there when he was here before.

"So, I am guessing you're here for the very same reason that we are here?" Teppei asked more than stated.

Katsuharu nodded. "But to do that we need to open this door."

They all looked at the giant door before them. There were no keyholes to just pick the lock open and although faint, the group can tell that magic was protecting the door. It wasn't just any kind of magic though, it felt cold, vile and evil.

Shinya touched the door and, sure enough, dark energy crackled around it.

"So this is why there were no guards guarding the place." Junpei concluded. "They didn't need for it to be guarded..."

"No, I don't think that's the case." Shinya said as he turned around, his eyes were fixated on a shadowy part of the stairs from which the others came from. "Are you planning on ambushing us, Takuya?"

Sure enough, Takuya appeared before them. Dressed in the black armor that they know all too well. His eyes were the same as before, empty and lifeless. His weapon was at the ready, unsheathed.

"I suppose I should welcome you on behalf of the Lord Seraphim...and Lord Chaos." Takuya droned.

"Takuya..." Izumi gasped and she could guess that the others were as unsure of what to do as she was.

Shinya glared at his younger brother but, before he could say or do anything, Kouji has beaten him to it.

"I cannot forgive you for what you have done, Takuya." Kouji said as he glared at the young man whom he once regarded as his friend and ally. "Prepare yourself!"

* * *

**To be continued...**

**

* * *

**

**Post Author's Notes**

And that closes off this chapter.

We are almost at the end now and hopefully, I can really finish this fanfic soon.

Like I've said, I've been pretty busy lately and I really can't say for certain when the next update would be. Although, I do hope I can make it before the end of this week.

Hm... I don't know what else to say. Probably because my brain is going dead right now as I am already really, really tired and sleepy (just forcing myself to be awake as of this moment, XD). I do hope that you guys will give me a review on this and tell me what you think of this chapter. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Of course, if you tell me that you hate it, you have to be constructive about it and not just end up flaming me for it.

Well, having said that, it's time to log off now. Until the next time we meet. This is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Don't forget to review, okay? Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**


	63. The Nightmare Reflected in the Mirror

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**  
**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Heya, guys!  
Hope this update didn't surprise anyone *THAT* much, lol. Anyways, we're almost at the end of the story. Only a couple more chapters remaining so, I do hope you would stick with this until the end.

Thank you for the support you have been giving this fanfic. I really appreciate it.

Having said that, I won't prolong this any further. Hope you enjoy reading!

**End of Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Nightmare Reflected in the Mirror**

* * *

The choice between two things.

The forked road that every person brought into the world must eventually face.

A cross road.

Whichever path they choose, they lose something.

Whichever path they choose, they are unable to find happiness.

But...

Are there really only two paths to a forked road?

* * *

To say that Kouji Minamoto was angry would have been the biggest understatement of the year. He was not just angry, he was infuriated. No, scratch that, Kouji Minamoto hated the young man that was standing before him.

He held his sword firmly in his hands, his eyes were filled with the determination to punish Takuya for betraying them. More than anything, he cannot let that action pass.

"So, you intend to fight me." Takuya said as he took a step forward, his swords were still sheathed.

The others, save for Kouji and Shinya, took a step back. None of them wanted to fight against him. No matter what, they still see him as a friend and, in Izumi's case, the most important person in her life.

As he walked from the shadowy part of the hall and into the lighted area, everyone could not help but gasp at how much he had changed over a short period of time. He seemed paler than they remembered seeing him. His eyes were still expressionless but his gaze was even colder than before, verging on menacing.

How he stood before them was different as well. He was more arrogant, that was for certain, more sure of himself and of whatever power the Dark One may have given him.

The black armor that he wore, with crimson linings, made him look even more "corrupted" and evil than they all hoped he was. A blood-red cape hung on his back and twin swords were hanging by the leather belt on each of his side. His hands were hidden behind black, leather gloves supported by the same-colored gauntlet with Chaos' insignia.

In a way, Shinya could not help but note how the armor he once wore fitted Takuya so perfectly. It was though the armor wasn't made for him but for Takuya. It was a scary thought.

"Takuya looks scary..." Tomoki managed to whisper, his voice was shaking. "It's like he really is lost to us."

"Don't say that..." Izumi said in the same hushed and wavering tone.

"What could you possibly hope to accomplish in fighting against me?" Takuya went on. "Do you really think that someone like you would have the power to defeat me, a General in Chaos' Army?"

Kouji gripped his sword even tighter. "I would never have thought that I would hear you say something like that, Takuya."

Without another word, Kouji dashed forward and attacked Takuya who quickly unsheathed both of his swords and blocked the attack. It was so fast that only Shinya and Kouji appeared to have caught a glimpse on what had happened.

"He's grown fast..." Shinya said of Takuya. "But...that Kouji guy has improved as well."

"Shouldn't we help Kouji out?" Junpei asked, he was stuttering as he directed his question towards Kouichi.

Kouichi shook his head. He honestly did not know what to do.

Takuya was his best friend. They have been together ever since they begun training to become Knights back at the Knight Academy. He was torn. He knew that he doesn't have the guts to face up against Takuya and fight against him. After all, despite what had happened, Takuya was still his friend.

But...at the same time, his brother was fighting against him. Even during those times that they had fought together, Kouichi had never seen his twin brother fight the way he does now. Never had Kouji actually raised a sword against someone out of revenge, save now.

Shinya noted how none were willing to raise their arms against Takuya and he saw how Kouji had begun to stagger. Takuya was definitely stronger than how he was before thanks to the influence of Chaos' powers.

Shinya knew that Takuya was merely toying with the young Knight and that soon, Kouji would fall. He knew he needed to do something, even if that something was not what Kouji would want from him.

Takuya managed to push Kouji back however, before Shinya could act. It was then that Takuya decided to show-off just what it is that he gained from allying himself with Chaos.

Stretching forth his right hand towards Kouji's direction, Takuya began to charge up dark energy. Shinya knew he had to act now. He could guess what would come out of those hands aimed at Kouji and he knew that if they had any chance in beating Chaos, all the Chosen Ones must be complete - or at least, all of their powers.

Just in the nick of time, Shinya managed to come in between his brother and the Knight. Thanks to that, and for whatever power Shinya has, he managed to deflect the attack - an attack that he had guessed right.

Dark flames threatened to consume his hand but, for some reason, they did not hurt as much as he would have thought. Actually, he could feel no pain in his hands and when he looked to find the reason why, he saw white-colored flames eating the dark ones.

Shinya looked around him and noticed that it was only the flames in his hands and arms that were being put off by the white fire. As for the black flames around him, they were consuming everything in their path until it has turned into ash. Shinya felt lucky to have been able to stop it from reaching the others and he felt even luckier at whatever protection he may have gained against those flames.

"T-those are different from what Takuya could do before." He heard Kouji say.

He looked over at Kouji's direction and saw that the young Knight was pushing himself up from where Shinya had pushed him.

"Those are the Dark Flames." Izumi found herself explaining. Shinya nodded. "Kaien told us about them... the manifestation of the Chosen One of the Flame's corrupted power..."

"Kaien? Who's Kaien?" Kouichi asked.

"A Chosen One like ourselves but from the distant past." Katsuharu replied. "I wish we could tell you more about him but...now really isn't the time."

"Amazing isn't it?" Takuya spoke in a hollowed, and slightly maniacal, tone. "The flames that cannot be extinguished. Such power. It's such a shame that you chose to abandon the Dark One, brother. This power could have been yours."

"If you have told me that a long while ago, I may have agreed with you that it is such a shame. However..." Shinya replied as he drew his sword out and faced his brother, ready for battle. "I have to say that I am not that much amused."

"What?" Takuya said. "Not amused? Perhaps I should demonstrate this power further."

Shinya glanced back at where the others were standing and on the direction that Kouji was preparing to fight once more. He knew that, as they are now, Takuya's power could easily destroy them. He cannot allow that to happen. He can't allow them to stay and watch the battle as well, that would be dangerous.

It was then that the silver doors suddenly swung open as if inviting them all in. Whatever mechanism was on the door had suddenly vanished and they were free to enter it now.

Shinya knew what has to be done next.

Looking back at them he said, "We don't have much time. If we plan on putting a stop to the Emperor and Chaos then we can't all waste our time here."

"What are you saying, Shinya?" Katsuharu asked.

"Go on ahead." Shinya replied. "I'll deal with Takuya, you all just go after Seraphim and Chaos now before it's too late."

"I think not!" Kouji disagreed. "It may be one of your ploys to ambush us."

"That's right." Agreed Junpei. It was obvious that they still did not trust the older Kanbara and they had no problems voicing that out. "Besides, you may just be plotting to kill Takuya while we are away."

"Isn't that what your friend, Kouji, intended to do?" Shinya retorted, his brows were furrowed and there was a hint of annoyance in his facial features.

Everyone's attention was at Kouji now but they immediately turned back their attention to the battle at hand when Takuya started attacking Shinya again with a mixture of sword moves - slashes and trusts - as well as of magic.

Shinya managed to deflect and parry the attacks while making sure that none of the Dark Flames manage to hit the others. It was a daunting task but he managed to do it nonetheless. However, there were some flames that almost got to the others. Almost.

"This place is dangerous for us." Teppei managed to say as he realized what Shinya was trying to do by sending them away. "We can't stand up to Takuya's flames and even if we fight against him, most of us will just fight him half-heartedly. I think it is best if we just make our way forward and make sure to put a stop to Seraphim and Chaos' plans... or at least, delay it for as much as we can while Shinya catches up with us."

"You actually believe him?" Tomoki asked, it was quite surprising.

Teppei nodded and faced Katsuharu. "Whatever happened to Shinya to make him want to help us is beyond me but... this is our chance to move forward and not get in his way. I say we take it."

Katsuharu nodded and so too did Kouichi. Before long, they all agreed to move forward while the battle between the two brothers raged on.

With their decision made final, the group of Chosen Ones immediately turned around and run towards the newly opened path, never looking back at what was happening in the battle. That is, save for one. Izumi Orimoto.

"S-Shinya." She managed to call out as Shinya swiped his sword vertically and Takuya jumped back.

Shinya was surprised to hear and see Izumi still there when the others have surely made their way to their next destination.

"Izumi, what are you still doing here? Didn't I tell you to go forward?" Shinya asked as he locked swords with Takuya once again.

"But-!" Izumi wanted to argue. How can he possibly think that she can leave him and Takuya alone like that? How can he think that she fully trusted him to save the life and soul of her most precious person?

It seems that Izumi's presence, however, caused trouble for Shinya as Takuya suddenly managed to successfully hit him with one of his sword attacks, causing his left cheek to bleed and reveal a wound. Shinya was lucky to have dodged it as he did, otherwise, the attack could have hit him in the eye and blinded him.

"Damn it." Growled Shinya. He was losing consentration with Izumi around.

"What's wrong, brother?" Takuya taunted. "Is that woman causing trouble for you?"

"_That woman?_" Izumi could not help but let those words echo in her head. "_Did he just call me that?_" She wondered.

It seems that even Shinya caught those words as he smirked. "'That woman', you say? Have Chiaki not only poisoned your mind and your soul but your heart as well? Don't tell me you have forgotten the very same woman who you would so readily give your life for?"

"I only have one woman in my life I am willing to die for, and that woman is Chiaki." Recited Takuya, as if it was a line that he had practiced to say for so long.

Shinya eyed Izumi, wondering what her reaction to those words were. He couldn't say for certain, however, as her hair covered her face. But how Izumi reacted to it, was not something he could have expected and guessed.

"I can't believe you would say that, Takuya..." Izumi's voice was strained and shaking. Shinya could not help but think if she was forcing herself not to cry. How very wrong that deduction was, for just when Shinya was about to tell Izumi not to cry, did Izumi suddenly took out her bow and mounted an arrow on it, and attacked Takuya.

It was such a quick and fluid action from Izumi that caught Takuya, and even Shinya, in surprise. Takuya was so surprised, in fact, that he failed to dodge the attack that managed to wound his right shoulder and cause him to drop the sword on his right hand.

"Gah!" Shouted Takuya as the arrow struck him. "What the hell!"

Takuya turned to face Izumi and he saw the anger in her eyes which were forcing itself not to cry. Shinya could not help but commend the determination Izumi had just shown but he knew that _this_ Takuya would not let that pass.

"That was unexpected..." Shinya managed to say, a small smile on his face as he walked towards Izumi, ready to protect her should Takuya decide to incinerate her. "I would never have thought you'd do that, Izumi. But, I'd suggest you stay out of this fight."

Izumi did not say anything. It was either she had nothing to say or because she, herself, was as surprised of her actions as Shinya was.

"How dare you do that you b..." Takuya was about to say but before he could finish his sentence, Shinya attacked him with his new-found power, the power of the white flames.

Takuya, however, managed to let lose his own attack at the same time and, as the black and white flames collided, a small explosion occurred. It was a small explosion but enough to blow anyone away. This was the reason why, when the smoke cleared, Takuya was standing with his sword sticking on the ground, using it as an archor with Shinya doing the same and with his left arm around Izumi's waist.

"You okay?" Shinya managed to ask as soon as he could.

Izumi nodded then asked her own question, "How did you do that?", implying on the white flames that Shinya suddenly could control.

Shinya shrugged as he let go of Izumi, "I suppose we have Kaien to thank for it."

"Kaien? What do you mean?" Izumi asked. But, whatever Shinya's explanation was, it didn't come for he was immediately drawn back into the battle.

Izumi gripped her bow tightly. She could feel her legs still shaking. Takuya did not hesitate to attack her, if it wasn't for Shinya's intervention, she knew he would have succeeded. Despite how hard it was to accept, Izumi knew she would have to fight him. Shinya may be strong but that only placed him in equal footing with his brother.

Izumi reloaded another arrow unto her bow and aimed it at Takuya, she closed her eyes for fear that the tears would spill before she let lose the arrow.

Takuya seemed to have been expecting the attack for he jumped out of the way and faced Izumi once more.

"I-Izumi! What the heck-!" Shinya was about to say.

"You really are getting on my nerves." Takuya said as he began to walk towards Izumi, sword in hand.

Shinya knew he would have to move to her defense but, it appeared as though Takuya knew it too for he used her to distract Shinya. And, in that moment when Shinya's thoughts were focused on going between Izumi and Takuya, Takuya attacked him.

This surprised Shinya especially when he found himself pinned to the wall with one of Takuya's swords on the upper-left of his chest. If he had not stepped forward at that point when Takuya attacked him, Takuya would have fatally wounded him.

Shinya coughed, spewing blood on the ground.

"Stay there for a while, will you." Takuya said as he let go of the sword and continued walking towards Izumi, picking up the other sword he had dropped before in the process. "Now, where were we?"

Izumi took a stepped back. She was truly scared of the Takuya before her. But, she suddenly stopped in her retreat.

"Tell me, Izumi, why do you insist on helping my brother fight against me?" Takuya asked, he had stopped his advances as well.

Izumi was silent for a moment before she finally spoke and gave the answer to the question that even Shinya was curious in hearing.

"Because just as you have promised to protect and save me whenever I am in trouble, back when we were still children, I also have made a promise to you, as solemnly as it was." Izumi replied. "I promised to protect and save you as well Takuya, even if it means having to fight against you now..."

"A promise? I don't remember having made any promises with you." Takuya said, he seemed agitated.

"I don't know what Chiaki did to you to make you forget and turn into the person you are now, Takuya," Izumi continued on to say, as she reloaded her weapon, "But, I will prove to her that what we have is stronger than what she could have done and what powers she used to accomplish it."

* * *

The buzzing at the back of his head was becoming louder. He wondered if the words that were coming out of this woman's mouth was the cause of it. Whatever the cause or reason may be, he was annoyed of it. He wanted the buzzing sound and the nagging feeling to stop.

"_What promise could she be talking about?_" Takuya found himself wondering. "_Why would I make a promise to the enemy?_"

"_But you did make a promise, don't you remember?_" A voice suddenly spoke in his mind. It sounded like a child's voice. A familiar child's voice. "_Whenever you're sad, or whenever you have a problem, just look at the moon and remember you have good-old-me, and I'll go to you and help you out._"

"That voice..." Takuya found himself in a daze which confused Izumi and Shinya.

"What's going on with him?" Shinya asked in between gasps for air as he tried to take the blade out of him.

Izumi was as confused as Shinya was but she saw this as a chance to attack, and so she did, letting lose a volley of arrows that snapped Takuya from his reverie and caused the said young man to jump further back.

But, not all of Izumi's attacks missed as one arrow found its way into Takuya's thigh, injuring the young man enough for him to stumble down on one knee.

Seeing as Takuya was having a bit of trouble standing up after that, Izumi quickly made her way to Shinya. Once by his side, Izumi quickly helped Shinya take the sword that was pinning him off and, using what remaining powers she had, helped close the wound. It was, after all, the least she could do.

As she was healing Shinya, however, Takuya had already managed to take out the arrow that had penetrated his thigh. He was angry, annoyed and confused to say the least so much so that he did not care what happens any more.

He stretched forth his hands once again, and the energy began building in his palms. More and more. He wanted more power to flow unto them. He wanted, more than anything, to destroy these two who were causing him trouble.

When Izumi and Shinya both realized what was going on, it was already too late. Takuya had already fired off his attack and Dark Flames made their way to their target followed by a powerful explosion that caused half of the hall to become unstable and to cave in.

Takuya laughed as he forced himself up, using his sword for support.

"Finally!" He said. He placed his good hand around his left eye and was surprised when it touched something wet - a fluid. He traced it as it led to his eyes.

Takuya Kanbara was crying.

"Wha-what is the meaning of this?" He asked more to himself than anyone else. "_Why am I...crying?"_

Just then, his head began to throb but the pain it felt was nothing like the pain that he could suddenly feel in his heart, which sent him stumbling back down.

Once again, he heard that annoying buzzing sound.

"_Is this what you truly want?_" Came a voice, it was not like the voice that spoke to him before. It was a different voice, a bit older and it was a voice he had not heard before. "_To hurt those who truly love you? Is your will and your power that weak to easily succumb and be a prisoner of darkness?_"

"_W-who are you_?" Takuya managed to ask in his mind.

"_You should be asking yourself that_." The voice replied. "_You're lost. Torn between the person you are now and the person you once have been by Chaos' power_."

Takuya slowly opened his eyes. He felt annoyed.

"_Just who does this voice think he is..._" He wondered, gritting his teeth as he stood up once more. "_How dare he asks like he knows me_."

It may be because of his anger or annoyance mixed with the confusion that caused him to suddenly run rampant. Summoning more Dark Flames to consume the entire place.

Takuya did not seem as though he was going to stop any time soon when suddenly, a wave of white flames shot down towards him, dousing the dark flames that dared to destroy all in its wake.

Takuya quickly looked over to where the white flames suddenly came from expecting to find Shinya still standing. However, the person who greeted him was not someone he had expected. Nor was it someone he knows.

There, standing on the other side of the hall where Takuya last saw Izumi and Shinya, was a young man with long, crimson-colored hair. His whole body was overflowing with silvery light that was as bright as the flames that had shot out before.

It was Kaien.

"Who the hell are you?" Asked Takuya. His voice was starting to hold some emotion on them.

Kaien merely stared at him for a moment before scanning the room. There was a sad look in his eyes. After taking a quick glance around the room, Kaien stretched his arms forward and, snapped his fingers.

The snap was louder than anyone could have possibly thought possible and it seemed to shake the hall. From his fingers, emerged the same white flames that Shinya was able to summon before and, like how it aided Shinya before, helped Kaien extinguish the Dark Flames that was consuming the entire room.

When the flames died down, Takuya was able to see Shinya holding an unconscious Izumi.

"So, they have survived after all. Tsk." Was all that came out of Takuya's mouth.

Kaien looked at the two Chosen Ones and back at Takuya. His eyes were filled with anger mixed with disappointment.

"I had wanted for so long to meet you Takuya but, this is not the 'you' I had wanted to meet." Kaien said.

"Kaien?" Shinya asked in disbelief. "Wha-what are you doing here? I thought you can't leave the island or Milanai's side?"

Kaien looked at Shinya, a small smile was planted on his face. It was a smile, but a sad one at that, and he replied, "I came to fulfill a promise. You needed help, right?"

"But what about Milanai? Your duty?" Shinya asked.

"I have already spoken to you about that." Kaien replied as he faced Takuya once more and stretched his left arm upward. Flames erupted as they did before but these flames now took the shape of a sword. "My duty as a Guardian of the World Tree is almost finish."

Before Shinya knew it, Kaien had already stepped forward and so did Takuya, albeit he was staggering quite a bit and another round of battle has begun.

Despite Takuya's wounds, he still proved to be a very capable warrior but Kaien was undaunted. Both of them were fixated on the battle that Shinya could not help but be in awe as he watched it unfold before his eyes.

The sound of metal against metal and fizzing powers that collide with one another made it even more surreal. Add that to the light emanating from Kaien's body and one could easily be caught in a daze watching the said spectacle.

As he watched Kaien fight, Shinya could not help but think how right his deductions were that Kaien was the reason behind the white flames bestowed upon him. The reason why Takuya's powers did not affect him as it should. Shinya made a mental note to thank the Guardian of the World Tree for that after this is all over.

Meanwhile, Takuya was truly pushing himself to the limit for even with Chaos' power, he was still being pushed back by his new foe.

"Why?" He found himself asking loud enough for Kaien to hear. "Why is it that you are stronger than me? I should be stronger. I have Lord Chaos with me."

"Chaos doesn't fight along side you, he uses you." Kaien retorts all too knowingly. "You were stronger, Takuya, when you were with your friends. Do not let Chaos continue to control your heart, mind and body. Is your will really not strong enough to regain that which you have lost? Is your faith that shallow?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Cried Takuya as he parried and counter attacked causing Kaien to jump back.

Takuya then stared at Kaien with eyes that seemed not as empty as they were before. Emotions such as anger and confusion was already evident in them. Kaien nodded, he had accomplished that much. If such emotions have returned, surely he can bring Takuya back to his senses still.

"Remember, Takuya!" Kaien coaxed. "Remember what you were doing before and what you were meant to be doing. This is not your path. Turn back and fight over his control. There is hope still."

After speaking those words, Kaien unleashed another set of flames. However, Shinya noted how, despite having the same appearance, these flames were different. He didn't know how he can tell but, he can. And he was right.

Takuya was unable to block the flames but, as it consumed him, it did not burn him at all. Still, Takuya screamed in agony and pain. Whatever those flames had was enough to put Takuya to the ground gasping for air.

* * *

He placed a hand over his chest which felt like it would burst.

"_What...was...that? Those images..." _Takuya found himself wondering as the bedazzling flame died down around him.

Takuya was sprawled at the floor after being hit by Kaien's attack which sent more than just flames but visions as well. Visions of a past that he could not remember. Vision of things that had happened. Visions of that woman and those other intruders whom he had been tasked to kill. But, these visions were not as how he remembered them. They were visions of him smiling along with them, laughing and fighting along side them as well.

"You saw it, did you not?" Kaien spoke as he allowed Takuya some breathing time. "Those are your memories. Your REAL memories and not something fabricated by the woman, Chiaki and the Dark One."

"N-no." Gasped Takuya. "You lie. These are just images of lies...to make me turn on my Master... to make me betray Chaos!"

Kaien furrowed his brows. "Do you truly believe that? Takuya, search within the inner recesses of your heart and see that what I speak of is the truth."

"No." Takuya said, his voice was firmer now as he pushed himself back up however barely he did managed to do that.

* * *

Shinya was truly and utterly speechles. Not only that but, in a battle that he believed he should be fighting, he was simply just sitting it out whilst looking after Izumi. This certainly was not how he had thought things would go.

What's more, Kaien was there. Fighting.

He was amazed that Kaien was still so good with the sword and with fighting all together. He had thought that, having done nothing but guard Milanai, that Kaien would have become rusty with his swordsmanship. How dead wrong he was!

He was so absorbed in watching Takuya and Kaien exchange blows that he did not notice one thing. Izumi had regained consciousness. This could have been a good thing, if it were not for the events that would soon transpire...

* * *

Izumi groaned as she awoke.

She felt pain all over and for a while, she forgot what she was doing, where she was and what was going on around her. So much so that she almost went back to sleep, until she heard the clashing sounds of sword against sword, and the sound of that all-too-familiar voice.

She forced her vision to adjust, for it was still blurry when she came too. After a while, she saw what Shinya, who was supporting her head while she lay, was gawking at.

Kaien was fighting against Takuya. It took a while for her mind to register that it was indeed Kaien. For a while, she thought she was dreaming that she had to pinch herself. Of course, having a sore body meant that the pinch was ten times more effective and she knew at once that this indeed happening. All of it was real.

Suddenly, she heard Kaien spoke.

"If you really insist on fighting for the sake of Chaos and his plans then, I am afraid you leave me no choice." Kaien said as he poised himself once more for an attack.

Takuya did not answer back but, he too poised himself for an attack as well.

The two met in a speed that would never be matched by anyone but, during that one-hit strike, Kaien emerged victorious, managing to shatter Takuya's breastplate into tiny shards. It was his forte, after all.

Izumi saw Takuya stagger and fall back while Kaien turned around to deal what would be a finishing blow.

"N-no way...is he...planning to kill Takuya?" Shinya gasped. This was not how he thought it would end.

Izumi frantically turned her attention back to Kaien and Takuya. This was not something she wanted as well. Suddenly, her mind was filled with only one thing - protecting Takuya. It was this thought that took control of her body and before anyone could react, she had, at the same moment that Kaien struck down his sword towards Takuya to deal the finishing blow, got in between Takuya and Kaien, protecting Takuya from the said blow.

It happened so fast that Shinya could not react and before he, or anyone in that room could understand what had happened, Izumi had slumped down on the ground, a large wound on her chest and bleeding badly.

* * *

**To be continued...**

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**Post Author's Notes:**

*Whew* I did not expect to finish this so soon and upload this just as soon as I finished it. lol  
I bet a lot of you weren't expecting it as well, nor were you expecting that it would be THIS long. Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise.

Anyways, I hope I didn't make a mess in writing the battle scenes and I do hope you like this chapter, however grim the end of it may be. If this chapter left you a bit confused, don't worry, the next chapter will provide some insights and answers to the remaining questions and explain some things as well.

Having said that, I really wish more people would give me some feedback. A review certainly would be nice.

Well, this is as long as I plan on writing for today. I will try to upload another chapter as soon as I can as I want to finish this fanfic and start on a new one. This is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out! Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**


	64. The Savior's Determination

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**  
**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes:**

Ah, yes. I remember promising a new chapter before the week ends. Well, here is that chapter. Took me a while to type it down since my free time was torn between reading books, drawing my 'Thank you for the 5000 views" for DeviantArt, and playing Tales of Vesperia (Gods, I love Yuri and Estelle, XD).

Well, anywho... I hope you enjoy the final chapter in the 'Dark Takuya' Arc.

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Savior's Determination**

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_There are times when one has to sacrifice in order to achieve something greater._

_Their sacrifice can be a personal one or not._

_Some sacrifices are bigger than others. Some sacrifices bear fruit and are remembered throughout history. But, there are some sacrifices which lay forgotten in the sands of time and unheard of by people._

_No matter the cause of the sacrifice, to give ones life to save the life of the one you love - that is, and will forever be, the greatest and noblest of sacrifices._

* * *

No one could move. They were all surprised and were unable to take in what has happened. Even Takuya, as confused as he is as to why his heart felt like it was ripped apart, was wide-eyed with surprise.

When all that has happened finally registered itself on Shinya's mind, he quickly ran to where Izumi lay dying. It was the first time in a very long time that he felt tears welling up in his eyes.

"Izumi!" He said, his voice strained and choking. "No, this can't be happening."

Takuya was still shocked. He can't help but wonder, as he touched his cheek, where a splatter of Izumi's blood had found its way, why she would go and shield him. He was their enemy, was he not? His death would mean that they would be that much closer to their goal. If so, then why?

Shinya looked angrily at Kaien, who looked as if nothing has happened and was instead staring at Takuya.

"Why the hell didn't you stop?" Shinya demanded to know. "You could have stopped. You were very capable at stopping your attack! I know that much!"

Kaien looked at him, closed his eyes and said, "Somethings had to be done to serve a better purpose."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? What purpose?" Shinya asked as he took the sword out of Izumi and pressed his hand on her wound to stop the bleeding. "She's dying! Do something!"

The silver light surrounding Kaien began to flicker. It was quick but Shinya caught sight of it.

"I can't do that." Kaien replied, there was a hint of sadness in his voice. "What remains of what I can do is reserved for him."

Shinya looked over at Takuya who was still in a disbelief. He wasn't moving. He was simply breathing but his eyes were not blinking. It was as if he was in a trance.

Whatever Shinya could have said to Kaien however, was lost for his mind was suddenly torn between saving Izumi and wondering what was going on with Takuya this time.

* * *

Nothing is more memorable than a smell.

One scent can be unexpected, momentary, and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains; another, a moonlit beach; a third, a family dinner of pot roast and sweet potatoes.

Smells detonate softly in our memory like poignant land mines hidden under the weedy mass of years. Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once. A complex vision leaps out of the undergrowth.

* * *

Takuya found himself in a place surrounded by complete darkness. How he got there, wherever "there" was, was a mystery to him.

He looked around but he did not see anything. He forced his ears to hear, but he did not hear anything.

The place certainly felt familiar. It was like he had been there before. Truth was, he had been there before. In a nightmare that had haunted him for a while.

How much darkness covered the whole area however, did not matter much for Takuya. He could see, albeit dimly, for whatever the reason was. Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible, under this veil of darkness, for one to be able to see one's hands in front of one's face. And yet, here he was staring at his blood-soaked hands.

He knew it was not his blood. And that thought made him tremble.

"Why?" He asked, his voice echoed as he did so. "Why am I trembling? I should be used to seeing blood. I should be used to the fact that my hands have ended many lives. And yet...why?"

In the midst of the silence, he finally heard something - a rhythmic, dripping sound, and suddenly he could smell something. It was the smell of human blood.

So strong was the smell that he had to move back.

Takuya knew that the smell could not be from his hands. There was blood there but it wasn't enough to make this strong of a smell.

As he was backing away, limping in the process, his foot stuck something that clanked. Whirling around, Takuya saw his sword sticking on the ground, blood trickling down it's blade.

Takuya starred at it before cautiously taking the sword.

Suddenly, he felt relieved and safe. It was as if he need not fear anything now that he has his weapon with him. It was, of course, a false sense of security.

As he took the sword, a gust of wind blew and a shadow appeared before him.

The shadow was of a human figure but Takuya knew that this one was not human. He had met this shadow once, after all.

"You did well, Takuya." The voice boomed. It was an eerie sort of voice that even made Takuya cringe. "Although indirectly, you have managed to kill one of the Chosen Ones."

The thought of that woman. The one they called 'Izumi' crossed his mind and the pain that had been throbbing in his heart for a while now, pierced his heart yet again.

"She's dead?" He asked.

"Yes. Now, only seven of them remain." Chaos replied. The shadow then curled itself around Takuya. The smell of blood and the feeling of infinite power burned itself unto him. "They have no hope in winning now, even with that Guardian's interference, we have succeeded. However, I want you to finish the task that you, Chiaki and Terrou have been given. Kill all the Chosen Ones. Leave none of them alive."

Takuya gripped his sword.

He was about to reaffirm his acceptance of his mission when suddenly, an even stronger wind blew.

As the wind blew, it carried with it a familiar yet distant scent. And for some reason or another, Takuya felt something he hadn't felt in a very long time.

This, of course, baffled the young man. He knew what the feeling was but it would appear that he could not remember why he knows of it or what it was called.

"What is this?" Bellowed the shadow that was Chaos. "What is the meaning of this?"

The eternal darkness that once enveloped the room began to lose its power and intensity as light slowly crept into it.

Apart from that scent that Takuya and the feeling, the wind also carried with it a scenery that slowly transformed the darkness-infested place and turned it into a lush, green island with a giant tree in the middle of a hill.

"This is-!" Chaos was to say, but a blinding flash of light caught him off guard and caused his shadow to dissipate leaving Takuya by himself underneath the giant tree in the middle of the small hill.

"Where am I?" Takuya found himself asking.

He then circled around the giant tree, looking at the vast scenery before him. He found nothing worth noting except for the giant tree itself. And, as curiosity bid him to, he touched the tree's bark.

The moment his hands touched it, the tree's bark began to shine and from it, it spewed a human that Takuya managed to catch, and which forced him to drop his weapon which disintegrated into sand.

"It's you..." Takuya said, surprised at how a tree could possibly do that.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Shinya demanded to know, as Izumi, whom he was holding while trying to stop the bleeding, started to shine the same way that Kaien had when he first appeared. "What's happening to Izumi?"

"It has begun." Kaien replied. "Izumi is communing with Takuya. She is trying to save him with what remains of her power and her being."

"Is that why you are not doing anything to save her?" Shinya asked although he knew the answer to that question already.

Kaien nodded and replied, "She has what it takes to become the Guardian of the World Tree. In the midst of death she is stronger and more than capable of talking with Takuya. Thus, she is more able than us to bring him back to his senses."

Just then, Shinya remembered what Kaien had told him before:

"...It won't be long now 'til my mission is complete and I shall finally be able to meet with them." He had told him. "Soon a new Guardian will be born from a choice that will be made."

"This was what you were talking about, wasn't it? You were talking about Izumi being your replacement..." Shinya said, he could not believe it. "She wasn't even given the same choice that you were given!"

Kaien was silent, watching as Izumi began to glow brighter. Finally, after a short while, he spoke.

"She was given a choice." He said, solemnly. "And she choose to sacrifice everything in order to bring Takuya back. Having personally been chosen by Milanai makes her that much stronger as a Guardian..."

"But...why Izumi?" Shinya asked as he looked down on the blond-haired young woman. "When Takuya comes to and returns...he will not like this one bit."

* * *

It was her. The familiar smell was her.

Takuya was unable to move as Izumi merely hugged him. He was frozen in place with her in his arms.

"Please...remember." Izumi whispered meekly, her face buried in his chest.

It was as if the giant tree was in accordance to what Izumi was asking of him, for as soon as those words escaped her lips did the leaves of the giant tree rustle without the aid of the wind.

The leaves that fell from the giant tree began to shimmer in the same fashion that Izumi was shimmering. And suddenly, Takuya could hear voices and see visions that were more vivid and clear than the previous ones he had.

"_Is the tree causing this visions or is it her?_" He wondered but suddenly, knowing the answer to that question wasn't that much important.

As he watched, without much of a choice, the visions unfold before him one by one, he felt something inside him stir. As he continued to watch more and more of the scene, from when he was younger making a promise to a girl that closely resembled the young woman who was embracing him to the scenes of him protecting her and fighting with those people he had tried to kill earlier, he felt within him a battle of two forces.

It was hard to describe but, it feels as though his inner consciousness was fighting against the memories he have that were trying to disprove these visions that were being shown to him.

Suddenly, he remembered Chiaki. And, as if she was the binding force keeping him from believing, Takuya regained his "false" self as he pushed Izumi away and took a couple of steps back, almost stumbling.

"No. These visions are not true." Takuya said, it was as if he was being forced to say those words. "You are trying to deceive me!"

Izumi looked hurt and for the first time since they met in this mysterious place, she spoke.

"Why do you keep on thinking that I am the one trying to deceive you, Takuya?" She asked, her voice sounded different, almost ethereal-like. "We've been through so much together, Takuya. You should know by now that I won't do anything that would end up hurting you..."

"Stop it!" Takuya shouted as he pressed the palm of his hands to his ears, and he shut his eyes. Sweat began to trickle down his forehead and he began to pant heavily, as if he had walked a thousand miles carrying a heavy burden in his back.

"I know that I am getting through you, Takuya." Izumi went on. "I know the _real_ you is trying to fight to come back and that you are fighting to break free of whatever spell or curse Chiaki and Chaos placed on you."

"N-no!" Shouted Takuya once more. However, he didn't sound as sure of it as he was before, and Izumi made note of that. She really was getting through to him. Just a little more and she was sure she would be able to bring him back to his senses.

"Takuya... please." Izumi continued to beg. For some reason, her voice sounded soothing to Takuya. Part of him wants to finish what Chaos has tasked of him to do, kill the Chosen Ones like her and yet, there was also the part of him who wants to return to her and help her. It was the latter that was starting to dominate. However, there was someone who does not want to lose their grip on him - Chaos.

Even as his physical form has vanished from this mysterious dream-like place, Chaos was still very much around, and he made sure Izumi realizes that as he materialized as an aura around Takuya who could not help but cry out in pain.

Chaos laughed as the aura around Takuya began to grow and his eyes, which had then started to regain some emotion into them, began to return to their expressionless state.

Izumi took notice of this. She knew that she cannot allow Takuya to succumb into Chaos' will once again and that she has to stop this "transformation" no matter what. She could feel that the giant tree, the World Tree, believes in the same thing as she does. Why she could feel and understand the World Tree's concerns, she doesn't really know. No, it wasn't that she _didn't_ know, it was that she was _afraid_ to know.

The wind then blew around her and she could hear the thoughts of the spirit of the tree. It was telling her to use her power to free Takuya.

"_My power? But all I am capable of now are mere healing arts_." Izumi spoke to the spirit through her mind.

The spirit gave her one word for an answer: "_Trust._".

* * *

They could feel an immense amount of energy emanating from both Takuya and Izumi, pushing anyone away from where they were. Both energies were familiar to Shinya and Kaien, having both felt them before.

One was the energy synonymous to life and order. The other was of chaos and death.

It was as if, without their two hosts moving, the energies themselves were at a battle with each other in that hall causing the ground to shake and the walls to tremble.

"This is bad..." Shinya muttered as he looked around the room and saw small debris falling from the ceiling. "If this keeps up, we might see ourselves flattened."

"Don't worry." Kaien said. His tone was assuring, as if he knew something that no one else knew or foresaw. "It will all come to an end soon."

"_I sure hope you aren't talking about our lives._" Shinya found himself thinking as he forced himself to be grounded on the ground and not blown away.

Just then, Izumi began to glow in a brilliant shade of silver and white. It was so bright that Shinya was forced to shut his eyes tight so as to not get blinded.

Takuya was also having his own "transmogrification". However, unlike Izumi's which was a dazzling light, he was being covered by chaotic darkness - a color of black and crimson-red that were swirling on his body, like animated tattoos.

"Wha-what's going on?" Shinya asked, while his eyes were still shut.

Kaien, however, chose not to speak. Whatever he was thinking during that time, no one could really know or guess.

* * *

"I will not lose you like this, Takuya!" Izumi shouted, full of conviction as she tried to force herself past the swirling dark energy that served as Chaos's shield while he continued to brainwash Takuya once more. "Fight it, Takuya! You have to fight it! Don't let Chaos take control of you further!"

However, despite her cries, it would appear that the darkness around Takuya was blocking any sounds from reaching his ears. And soon, the dark energies dissipated and Takuya was once again holding a sword ready to attack Izumi.

He looked at her with that steel gaze of his and at once Izumi knew that he was once again Taken.

"_But not for long." _The voice of the spirit spoke. "_You know now what you must do, don't you? You understand..._"

Izumi nodded. She did know what must be done. Her sacrifice was not yet over.

Trust.

It was what the spirit had told her before and she knew what the spirit meant. It would be a lie, however, to say that she wasn't the least bit scared, for she was. She didn't know how far Takuya had lost in his battle with himself but, she was out of options.

It was time to go to the 'extreme'.

Takuya pointed the sword at her and spoke, "I have enough of you. Release me from this place!"

"Do you really intend to fight and kill me with that sword, Takuya?" Izumi asked, she forced herself to sound brave despite knowing what she had to do.

"I don't 'intend to'." Takuyra replied as he poised himself for an attack. "I will kill you."

Then Izumi said something that no sane person would have said: "Then do it."

That was also something that Takuya nor Chaos had expected her to say. They had thought she would fight fiercely, she had Milanai's help after all. It was then that another wind blew sending another round of falling leaves from Milanai with it. And once again, memories began to slowly return to Takuya. Chaos had, without knowing it, let his guard down. But, it was still not enough to completely turn Takuya.

Takuya walked cautiously, his sword still in hand but Izumi did not move nor did she look away. She was looking at him, not with eyes filled with hate and resentment but with eyes that somehow managed to convey to Takuya not to worry and that everything will be alright. This sent another round of confusion to the already baffled and unstable-minded young man.

When he was within striking distance, Takuya pointed his sword at Izumi's throat, ready to slit it at any moment he wished to do so.

It was then that Takuya asked, in a voice that contained curiosity: "Are you not afraid of dying? Why are you willing to risk so much for a hopeless cause?"

"Because I believe that you _will_ choose the right thing, Takuya." Izumi replied. Her reply sounded as if she was sure of it. Her voice didn't betray the fact that she was scared to die but, even with that fear, she chose to trust him. And she did not fail to tell him that. "I trust you."

It was the only word needed to be said. It was more powerful than having said that she loved him, which she did, and which he had heard so many times from Chiaki and even from the vague memory of the past he could scarcely remember.

Those words seemed to penetrate through whatever magic or curse Chaos and Chiaki had placed on him. It was with those words that he suddenly felt the veil in his mind, that cursed sealed that was blocking his memories, lifted.

The sword fell to the ground with another loud clang and disappeared like smoke being blown by the wind. The darkness governing Takuya also disappeared and Izumi could have sword Chaos swore while being pulled away from the place with a magical force. The heterochromic eyes returned to Takuya and his complexion returned to normal.

As soon as Takuya returned to normal did he fall to his knees, sobbing like a little child, not wishing to look at Izumi.

"I'm sorry." He repeatedly said. "I could see what was happening... I was easily manipulated by Chaos and the darkness in my heart..."

Izumi knelt down beside him and touched his face, gently forcing him to look her in the eyes. Her eyes didn't hold any pity in them, only understanding.

Izumi shook her head and said, "It's alright now, Takuya. I knew you would come back. But, we don't have time to rejoice on that. The others are waiting for you. You are needed to fight against Chaos."

"You're kidding, right?" Takuya said. He could not believe anyone would be willing to wait for him after all that he has done. "I know they will be waiting for me but, I doubt that's to join forces with them. Kouji will probably kill me and..."

Suddenly, he remembered. Chaos had told him that the others would fall soon.

"They're in trouble." Takuya realized. "Chiaki and Terrou! They're fighting with them now. You're right, Izumi. We have to go back and help them."

Izumi shook her head once more, and the smile on her face was one filled with sadness.

"You're right, Takuya. Time _is_ of the essence. However, _you_ have to go back and help them. I can't leave this place any longer." Izumi said.

Her words surprised and confused Takuya. "You can't leave? What do you mean?"

Izumi looked at the giant Tree and placed the palm of her hands on its bark. "I need to stay here, Takuya. I have been...given a task and a role I need to fulfill. My role is here while yours..."

"Wait, I don't understand, what do you mean? Your Role?"

"I have been chosen to become the Guardian of the World Tree." Izumi replied.

* * *

The battling forces in the hall disappeared, and with it the light from Izumi and the darkness from Takuya. What's more, Takuya seemed to have fallen unconscious as well, while Izumi's life was slowly fading. Her breathing was becoming less frequent until she finally breathe her last.

Kaien breathe a sigh of relief, "It is finished. She had won."

"Won?" Shinya asked. "What the hell are you talking about? How can this be winning? Izumi's dead!"

"She is still alive with Milanai." Kaien said, his voice was starting to sound distant. "She was chosen to become the Guardian, Shinya, and she has accepted the role. However, she is not yet chained to that role. There is still another Guardian whom Milanai has chosen, a guardian who can take her place."

"What am I supposed to tell Takuya about Izumi? I am certain he would not accept this." Shinya asked. He could almost imagine his younger brother running rampant.

"Tell him..they will see each other again." Kaien replied. "Milanai awaits you at the dawn of the new age."

Kaien closed his eyes, suddenly he looked older and his form began to flicker as if he was some holographic projection. Before Shinya could ask what Kaien had meant, Kaien had disappeared with a content smile on his face and Shinya knew that the time when Kaien finally rejoins his friends has finally come. Kaien could finally have his much-deserved rest.

It was at that point that Takuya began to stir and Shinya knew that Takuya would not like what awaits him.

* * *

**To be continued...**

**

* * *

**

**Post Author's Note:**

And that, my friends is how I chose to end this story arc. A bit dark but, as I they say, some sacrifices have to be made. However, all hope is not lost as Kaien had spoken.

This also marks as the final time Kaien will appear on the whole story. Also, if you haven't figured it out, the "Savior" being mentioned in the title is Izumi. XD

And now, we have to wait and see how Takuya would react once he learns that Izumi is "dead". In the next chapter, we'll also get a look on what has been happening to the others. Takuya had already said it, they are fighting against Terrou and Chiaki. But, how do you guys think they are faring? And what would Chiaki's reaction be once word reaches her that Takuya had been freed from her grasp?

Well, that's what awaits the next chapter which would probably be released next week provided my work doesn't get the better of me.

Having said that, I hope you guys review this story and tell me what you think about this recent chapter. Until the next time we meet, Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Note**


	65. The Bonds of Friendship

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**  
**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Ah yes.  
A lot of people were shocked to read the ending of the previous chapter, especially with what happened to Izumi.

To those who were wondering: No, I haven't lost my mind when I decided to go steer the story in to that direction.

There is a reason for everything. So, let me assure you that there is a major reason why that must happen.

Anyways, I won't delay this further.  
I hope you enjoy reading this new chapter.

**End of Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Bonds of Friendship**

* * *

_The unwanting soul sees what is hidden, and the ever-wanting soul sees only what it wants._

_Two things; one origin, but different in name; whose identity is a mystery._

_Mystery of all mysteries, the door to the hidden._

* * *

The humming, fizzling sound vibrated through the large, dome-shaped room. Darkness blanketed it but the light from the source of the enigmatic sound was enough to allow anyone a glimpse of what the room looked like.

Pillars scattered the room made from alabaster stone with intricate carvings of the various dragons that once lived, supporting the ceiling up above. The walls were covered with painted ornaments telling the stories of wars, ancient and long past. The beauty of this paintings were only a shadow of what it once had been, the passage of time evident in them.

A giant arc-shaped opening acted as a door that led to this room, which had once been a temple. And, in the farthest corner of the room, shedding light, was the source of that vibrating sound and power.

It was made of silvery-white metal mixed with cement, drawn up in a circle that seems to be elevated my crawling and tangled webbing made of the same material. The middle of the circle showed something like a surface of a lake, rippling with the vibrations yet, upon closer inspection, it was not water that was being held. No water shone as vibrant and as alluring as the waters that were held by this structure. And no water could swirl in many different colors at the same time as this water. Whatever the contents was, they knew it to be something holy and mysterious.

It was easy enough to note that the artifact before them was same artifact that Chaos intends to use - the Gates of Gaia.

But, it was not the gates that caught everyone's attention. Not really. Rather, it was of the man in wearing a regal armor.

Even from such a distance, Katsuharu easily recognized him...

"F-Father?" He said in a meek tone, almost verging on disbelief. And yet, as he said those words, there was a hint of distaste and anger in them as well.

The eyes of the man known as Seraphim flickered open. However, where his amber eyes once have been, are now a pair of eyes crimson as blood in color. The face of the king which was once held kindness for his people and love for the goddess was now contorted to that of a man filled with hate, power, lust, greed and pride.

The shadows that the light from the Gates of Gaia created a further dark and ominous look in him and his angled face. His hair, although light brown in color, had gray streaks on them. Yet, he did not feel old to them at all. His lips twisted, ever slightly, a bemused expression on his face.

The other Chosen Ones could not help but wonder what the physical resemblance that both Seraphim and his son could have shared, for whatever that resemblance was, was hidden from them.

"I am afraid," A voice that was not Seraphim's yet which came from him said, "that you have just missed your Father, Lord Prince. For you see, he is no longer around. I now have full possession of his body, though this would only serve as a temporary host until I can finally be able to transform into my true glory."

His voice was taunting as he called him by his title. However, he did not fall under his taunt for he was too focused on what he had just heard. He didn't need to be told that Seraphim was no longer around and that this man, who has taken the shape of his father, is the feared and fabled god of darkness, Chaos.

"We will not allow you to do as you please with the Gates of Gaia, Chaos!" shouted Kouji, there was an air of confidence around him that Katsuharu could not help but wonder where he is basing it from. "We _will_ put a stop to your vile plans!"

Kouichi also seem to have an air of confidence around him as he agreed with his brother, "We will not allow you to harm the goddess."

Laughter erupted from Chaos. It was not hard to tell that he was amused. But, even as the god of darkness laughed, his eyes never shone with laughter, they were merely ice-cold and could have easily killed anyone with a weak hearth with a mere stare.

"Oh such confidence." Bellowed Chaos. "Foolish humans. What could you possibly fight me with? Your powers are drained with nothing more than a drop of what the Chosen Ones of the past had been. Even they had trouble beating me together in the height of their power. And now, you choose to challenge me with 3 of your kind missing and with not much power, defend a goddess whom you didn't know truly existed before? What nonsense is this!"

The Chosen Ones gritted their teeth. If fear was something they felt, it wasn't evident any more. Either it was because they found the courage to step beyond fear or because the fear was too great and they felt their emotions going numb.

Still, something within their very being encouraged them to stand their ground and face the Dark One.

Kouji was the first who drew his stance for battle. His twin and Katsuharu followed suit. And soon, even Teppei was in form along with Junpei and Tomoki.

"Fools. I am growing tired of this already." Chaos said. With one flick of the finger, he managed to send a powerful wave which caught everyone off guard and threw them away.

Kouji managed to flip back and dug his sword into the ground so as not to be blown. Kouichi managed to use one of the nearby pillars as footing, a trick he learned while under Chaos' spell. Katsuharu willed what remains of his power to materialize a barrier around him, which was enough to block the force push. Teppei, Junpei and Tomoki were not as lucky enough as they all found themselves crashing on the walls and pillars of the domed room, destroying what beauty remained with these pillars and walls.

"He is strong." Kouji muttered loud enough for Katsuharu to hear.

"What do you expect?" Katsuharu retorted as Kouichi jumped and landed next to his brother, "This is the god of darkness we are dealing with. I hardly believe that this would be a walk in the park."

Kouichi stifled a laugh while Kouji grunted at what Katsuharu said.

"Still, we have to do something." Kouichi said.

Without much thought, and with the prophecy told to them in mind, his pride as a knight and a Chosen One, Kouji made a dash for Chaos. The sword in his hands ready to strike at the enemy as soon as the distance between them has been diminished.

Chaos seemed unfazed. Even after continuously suffering defeat in the past against the Chosen Ones, he could only view the charging knight as a suicidal warrior. There was no hint of respect for his enemy, unlike how he felt when he came faced to faced with past heroes such as Kaien and Yuuki.

It took only a cold gaze from Chaos, and whatever powers may lie in that gaze, for Kouji to be raised in the air with an invisible hold holding him by his throat, threatening to choke him.

"A feeble attempt to come face me in such a way." Chaos said as he stared blankly, no hint of amusement in his eyes, at Kouji who was struggling to break free of the hold. "To rush at your enemy who is more powerful than you without a thought is not courage in my eyes, human. Have you no fear of death?"

"Death?" It almost came like a gargle. Despite the hold on his throat, Kouji still managed to smirk. "Death will not come for me or my brother. We will be the one to defeat you as the prophecy foretold. You will die by our hands, demon god."

If he had been hoping for a surprised look from Chaos, he did not get it. However, Chaos did find it interesting.

"Die by your hands?" Chaos said, his lips twisted in a smile. He gripped Kouji harder by the throat. "Such words. I cannot die human, and you have no power to even weaken me."

"The...prophecy..." Kouji was about to say. But, Chaos cut him off.

"The prophecy is not meant for you." Chaos said as he flung Kouji back.

Kouichi ran to where Kouji landed with a loud thud and the sound of bones cracking. He shouted in pain, a shout that echoed in the large room.

"_Svadrav wer tairais confnic ihk wer vakil waves ekess crash shafaer wer shores di inglata, wer fesiri ekess wer kingdom geou nif vur wer forgotten nishka lleisgar ekess claim wer throne. ergriff svadrav wer chosen svaust ui mirrored ini mitne vur whedabra relgr forth wer joining di wer preahi batobot geou vehafor vi stream svabolen geou relgr forth vi miracle ekess lay vi donoap di charis, geou wer forgotten qe thric throdenilt._" Chaos stated in a language that was foreign to them. Then he translated it to what they could understand and what they, save for Katsuharu, had heard before. "When the time comes for the seven waves to crash on the shores of promise, the gates to the kingdom will open and the forgotten shall rise to claim the throne. Only when the chosen who is mirrored by light and darkness call forth the joining of the hearts that will create a stream which will call forth a miracle to lay a path of hope, will the forgotten be no more."

"That's the prophecy we heard!" Gasped Tomoki who was back to his feet and had made his way towards Katsuharu. "The prophecy the elder of the Elvens told us."

"To cling unto a prophecy and to think highly of oneself... the Chosen Ones have indeed been reduced to nothing but desperate and feeble-minded humans." Chaos droned. He shook his head, turned around and said, "I have grown tired of playing this petty game with you. My sister awaits our meeting."

Even before anyone could move, Chaos had summoned ten glowing orbs around him. Each with a different color.

A familiar feeling rushed over at the Chosen Ones, and at once, they knew what those orbs were - those were their powers, stolen from them by the dark one and his minions.

Suddenly, they could not move. It was as if an invisible force was grounding them. The humming and fizzling sound of the Gates of Gaia grew louder and more eerie that they had to cover their eyes lest their eyedrums were to bleed.

The silvery multitude of colors that swirl on the surface of the liquid-like material in the middle of the artifact suddenly swirled into a blinding white color and the air felt even heavier then. It was then that they realized that the gate has been opened.

Despite the buzzing in his head telling him not to look, Kouji willed himself to, and saw how Chaos climbed through the opened portal of the gate. He was about to completely vanish when Kouji, still determined as ever, called out to him trying to reach him and stop him before he vanished.

It was as if Chaos allowed himself to dally even longer than he should, and would have even allowed Kouji to strike him with his sword, had it not for the two people who suddenly appeared to defend him.

Wearing the same kind of armor that Takuya wore, the Minami twins stood in Kouji's way. He looked at Chaos, he smiled maliciously before disappearing into the portal turning Kouji's expression into a scowl.

* * *

Without the need to explain, Izumi knew that Takuya had understood what she meant when she had told him that she had become the new Guardian of the World Tree. The look on his face, the pained and uncertain look filled with guilt, remorse and indignation all mixed up together, was enough to tell her that he did not approve of this.

"I will not leave without you." He told her, forcing himself not to choke on his words.

"That is not your choice to make." Izumi replied. "I cannot leave the tree to wither and die. If I leave this place, all that we have been fighting for will be for nothing. Should you hope to reunite with the others in an attempt to defeat Chaos, you will need the power of Milanai, and for that, you will need me to stay here."

"What good would it be to return peace and prosperity to the world if you are not there to celebrate its return with me, Izumi?" Takuya asked, he was angry, scared and hurt. "I would rather spend my eternity here with you than return there and spend the rest of it without you."

Izumi stood and walked away from Takuya, with her back still turned from him she said, "That is a very selfish thing to say, Takuya. I have made a sacrifice for you and for everyone so that there would be a hope in defeating Chaos and reverting this world to how it once was."

"It was a sacrifice I did not _want_ you to make." Takuya argued.

"But it was a sacrifice I _needed_ to make." Izumi replied calmly. For some reason, Takuya could not help but see how calm Izumi was despite all of this. "We may not want it, Takuya. But it is something we need."

Izumi then returned to face him, her whole body aglow. She then took his hands into her own and suddenly, Takuya's hands also began to glow. He felt power surging through him.

"The taint of darkness that Chaos placed on you is still strong, Takuya." Izumi explained upon seeing the bewildered look on Takuya's face after such a spectacle. "however, it is not enough for him to control you any more. The dark flames which you were able to conjure, the flames that never die, is still something that you can use against him and whatever enemies you need to face."

"I can't..." Takuya was about to say but, Izumi knew what he was going to say.

"You must." Izumi insisted. "I have transferred what remained of my power as a Chosen One to you. With it, is Milanai's power as well. That power, with the help of Shinya, will allow you to summon the Bane of Darkness, Eos. It is Milanai's final gift to the world, for you to be able to summon the only weapon capable of defeating Chaos."

Takuya remained silent, not knowing what to say but feeling the dreaded moment when they would be separated from each other, inching ever closer.

He watched then, as Izumi looked up at Milanai's leaves and said, "Milanai is fading. Milanai was much too attached to Kaien, the previous Guardian. Because I have now taken his place, Milanai will eventually disappear and with that, a new World Tree will be born."

She then faced Takuya, with a sad look on her eyes and he knew that the time has come.

"When the World Tree has been born anew, I hope that you will visit me here, Takuya." Izumi said. "I wish for you to give it a name."

Takuya hung his head low as he nodded, resigned to the fact that Izumi does not have a choice but to stay here and that his duty lay elsewhere. No amount of arguing would change that.

It was then that he thought of something. There was actually something that could change Izumi's fate...someone who can break her free from this and bring her back to him - Lumina.

It was as if a renewed conviction to fight against Chaos and to defeat him, suddenly burned inside of Takuya. As he looked up to Izumi, he made her a silent promise that he will not rest until he finds a way for them to be together, as they should be.

Slowly, he found the scene before him vanishing. Slowly he saw Izumi disappear from his eyes and found himself plunged into nothing but white and then black.

When he came to, he was back at the hallway with his brother's back turned against him, his body shaking.

The sound that Takuya made upon stirring back to reality made Shinya turn around, and Takuya saw tears flowing down his eyes.

Two words escaped Shinya's lips. Two words he knew the reason to.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

"I see that Takuya at least managed to take down two of your companions." Chiaki said, pleased to see that there are only six Chosen Ones to deal with. "And it seems that one of them is the little princess herself."

It may be because of the adrenaline of the situation before that they did not notice Izumi was no longer with them, and only when Chiaki had mention Izumi did they realize that she was indeed gone.

Suddenly, Kouji's face became pale and so did Kouichi. The promise they had made to her father about protecting her and ensuring her safety should they find her, suddenly echoed in their mind. They could not believe how easily they forgotten about her and how easily they failed to notice that she was not present with them.

"We should go back and search for her." Junpei found himself saying but that was immediately shot down by Katsuharu.

"I am sure she is fine, Shinya is with her. He won't let anything happen to her." Katsuharu whispered to them. "We have to take care of these two and follow Chaos before..."

Suddenly, a loud thunderclap, a powerful earthquake, a strong gust of wind, and darkness enveloped the world.

"Ah, it seems the Master has made it to the Throne of Light." Chiaki said, her smile became even wider. "It will only take a little while for your precious goddess to fall and for Lord Chaos to finally govern the world. Of course, you will not be able to witness such an event. For by that time, you will all be dead."

And that was all that was needed to be said before Terrou launched at them with his power, creating vine-like tentacles that shot its way towards Kouji and his group. But, it was an old tactic made by an old enemy. This was the same as what Terrou had done on the start of their previous battle. He may have surprised them then, but this time, they had anticipated it and, immediately, Tomoki called forth ice from his feet that covered the entrie area where he and his companions stood.

It froze Terrou's attack and the others took this as an opportunity to counter-attack, hacking on the vines which they knew would hurt Terrou. Their strategy was simple: make Terrou quickly use much of his power to the point that he becomes tired while Katsuharu and Teppei would fight against Chiaki.

Under the loud roar of Terrou who had begun his battle with Junpei, Tomoki, Kouji and Kouichi, Teppei faced Chiaki with Katsuharu backing him up.

"Please, stop fighting us, Chiaki." Teppei pleaded. He didn't want to hurt her and Katsuharu knew why. "You are a Chosen One like us. You should be helping us rather than fighting against us."

"Helping you?" Chiaki said after a cold laugh as she summoned twin whips made of water.. "Why should I? I detest the goddess for giving us this fate of being Chosen Ones. I desire her downfall. There is no reason why I should ally myself with you."

"You are only saying that because you are under the control of Chaos." Katsuharu said. "Let go of your feelings of hatred and free yourself from the shackles of darkness that binds you."

Chiaki attacked them with her whips as she laughed and they blocked with their swords, inching away from her but making sure that they do not let themselves be trapped.

"You think that Chaos is controlling me? That he brainwashed me just as he had done with Takuya?" She said as she attacked them. Somehow, they could feel that she was enjoying making them suffer and fighting against them. "I am doing this under my own volition. I wished to serve him and he accepted. I wished for power to help take down the goddess and those who come to her aid."

"No, I don't believe that!" Teppei said as he sliced at the whip. The whip, shattered but another one took its place. "The Chiaki I remembered is nothing like that. She is kind, sweet, generous and helpful. She is loving to her friends and would never think of hurting anyone! What you are saying is a lie!"

"The Chiaki you knew is the lie!" Chiaki retorted. "Everything up to this point has been planned by the Dark Lord, all for the sake of his revenge. All I did before, it was all for this moment, the moment that the goddess and the Chosen Ones that fights along side her, perish."

Katsuharu eyed Teppei wondering what this new revelation would do to him. It was as he expected, he lost focused and was hit by the water whip, which was stronger than how it looked, causing a wound to appear at his left shoulder and his left cheek. Blood began to trickle down them, hitting the pavement with a silent splash.

Katsuharu saw that Chiaki was going to attack Teppei once more, he slashed at the whip that was attacking him and went to Teppei's defense. All the while urging Teppei to "snap out of it" and to return to battle.

"You mean... it was all a lie?" Teppei found himself asking, his eyes hidden by the shadows. "Your kindness? The times we spent together as a team? It was all a ruse?"

"Finally," Chiaki said, her stare was menacing. "you understand."

* * *

Takuya ran ahead of his brother, the wound on his leg was gone. He could not help but associate such a "miracle" - as Shinya had said, with Izumi, along with the feeling of being rejuvinated.

True, he still looked like a mess: his hair was ruffled and was sticking out in all directions, his breastplate was torn in shambles revealing the black shirt that was underneath, the blood on his face had hardened and his wound clotted, his arm was all bloodied like the rest of his body, however, Shinya could not help but note the look on his mismatched eyes which held such furious determination.

He would have thought that he would sulk and even fight him for not being able to protect Izumi, or even blame himself for trying to do her harm. He had thought that he would go on with vengeance in his heart but, all he thought he would do, Takuya never did.

Takuya didn't tell him much apart from knowing what happened to Izumi and that it was indeed her who brought him back and gave him the power to summon Eos without the need of completing the whole group of Chosen Ones. He also told him that she gave him her power and that, despite no longer being under Chaos' control, he can still summon the black flames.

"I guess if you think about it," Takuya had joked when he was picking up his sword a couple of minutes back, "it would appear as though I am Chaos' Chosen One of Fire while you are Lumina's, brother."

It was not a joke that Shinya had liked.

The path leading to where they could feel an immense power flowing, and where they guessed the others had run off to, was long and winding; dark and damp, with only the light from the torches leading the way.

The cold wind blowing, and the earthquake that had shaken what seems to be the entire world, did not deter them from their path... from their goal. Shinya, upon gazing once more at Takuya's back, could not help but think how broader his shoulders were now. He felt as though, from the last time they have seen each other, which was not too long ago, Takuya had grown up.

Suddenly, they could feel stronger vibrations and the sound of fighting. Immediately, Takuya guessed that it must be Kouji's group battling it out against the Minami twins. His guess, of course, proved to be true.

* * *

Despite giving their all, their all seemed to fall short on what was needed to win.

Their enemy was truly strong and had clung too much on darkness that it would appear even Chaos had been helping them in this fight.

Bloody and battered, the Chosen Ones were all forcing themselves to stand up and to continue fighting. However, no matter how many times they stood up to face the enemy before them, they were whipped and once again sunk back to the ground.

Kouji cursed under his breath, mentally and physically exhausted but knowing better than to give up. Chiaki enjoyed whipping him as Terrou simply watched, mind blank.

"S-stop it, Chiaki." Teppei continued to call out for her but to no avail. She was sadistic, enjoying the pain she was giving them - she was giving his heart.

She allowed Kouji to drop back to the ground, face contorted with pain and turned her attention back to Teppei. Teppei's eyes grew wide as he saw how Chiaki had further transformed, suddenly she didn't look too beautiful in his eyes.

Chiaki then decided it was time he whipped him and Teppei had prepared himself for it.

"_I will not cry in pain._" He had told himself over and over again. It was not just the physical pain he was thinking of as he chanted those words in his mind.

He knew that it was hopeless to call for change in Chiaki. She was far too lost. He understood that now. He felt so foolish to have wanted to try to "bring her back" when there was nothing to bring back in the first place.

He waited for the whip to hit but it didn't. Instead, he heard a surprised shout followed by something warm barely grazing him. When he looked up, he saw blazing, white flame surrounding them and shielding them from Chiaki and Terrou who jumped back. The color of the flames seemingly to bright for them, or too holy.

"I suppose I came at the right time." Shinya said, his arm still outstretched and his palm still held visible white flames.

"S-shinya!" Katsuharu said weakly as he pushed himself up. Glad that Chiaki had no choice but to stop with her whipping. "You're alright! Then that means..."

Shinya didn't answer to him, instead, he focused his gaze at the Minami twins who were snarling and obviously not happy about the intrusion to their "fun". They seemed unfazed by his appearance. Perhaps they thought, particularly Chiaki, that he was as weak as he was back at the valley of mists. He smiled inwardly at that, how very wrong she was. The white flames should be proof of that.

"Still fighting us with fire?" Chiaki asked, taunting him. "Though it has changed color, a flame is still a flame and it is still no match for my power over water. I can easily douse your flames, just like before."

Suddenly, another flame attack appeared and made it's way to one of Terrou's overgrown vines setting it into fire. However, unlike the white flames that came before it, this one was black and it hurt Terrou.

"Black flames?" Chiaki asked dumbfounded, as did the others who knew exactly had that sort of fire.

Sure enough, Takuya emerged from the shadows, his own hand filled with the unquenchable fire that had begun to eat its way towards Terrou. It would only be a matter of time before Terrou succumbs to the power of his dark flames.

"We cannot waste time here." Takuya said as he readied himself to let out another wave of attack.

"What are you doing, Takuya!" Chiaki screamed. "Your mission is to kill these Chosen Ones! Your allegiance is with Chaos! Your heart belongs to ME!"

"My allegiance," Takuya said in a menacing tone directed at Chiaki as he saw what he did to his comrades. "is with my friends. And, my heart belongs solely to the only woman I love, Izumi Orimoto. It can, and never will, belong to you."

If Chiaki's face has been red with anger before, it was even redder now that the only thing missing was for steam to come of out of her ears as her nostrils flared.

A painful roar erupted as the dark flames reached Terrou. Panic was evident in his eyes, as it was in his twin's. She knew that the flames could not be extinguished, even so, she tried and tried using her power to kill the flames but to no avail.

It was sickening to those in the room to watch someone burn so much that nothing bush ashes remained in its wake. Such was the power of the Cursed Flames - such was Takuya's new found power.

Chiaki wailed. Her anger multiplying.

Shinya caught Katsuya looking over at Teppei's face which has paled. Teppei knew that death was Chiaki's only salvation, and the only way for them to proceed and stop Chaos was to kill her. This he understood.

There was no hope for reconciliation. No hope for Chiaki to turn over a new leaf and start a new. She had chosen this path for herself and the consequences of her actions are now looming its way towards her.

Takuya could feel nothing but pity towards Chiaki as he directed his attack towards her and attacked her even before she could attack him. They were running out of time and he knew that someone had to do it.

Chiaki tried to use her powers on herself which still proved useless. Takuya's power was much too overwhelming and soon she followed her twin's footsteps and turned to ash.

Takuya sighed as he placed his hands back down. The room was still echoing with Chiaki's screams of agony. He then looked at Shinya and nodded, allowing him to douse the remaining flames, and that Shinya did.

"Well, that was fast." Shinya said as he also sighed after doing his job. "I can't believe I have to do clean-up duties with that power of yours though..."

"It can't be helped...unless we want to burn the whole building down to the ground." Takuya replied.

It was then that the others got out of their stupor and hurriedly faced Takuya. Takuya turned to face them only to be met by a powerful punch from Kouji. It was a punch that sent him down and almost knocked him out.

"_Who knew Kouji could punch like that?" _Was what everyone who knew Kouji had on their minds.

"You traitor!" He hissed at Takuya who was rubbing his left cheek.

Kouichi held Kouji back. "That's enough Kouji. Takuya did help us defeat Terrou and Chiaki."

"That does not erase the fact that he betrayed us." Snapped Kouji.

"That is true." Agreed Junpei. "He even threatened and attacked us."

"Well, what do you have to say to that, brother?" Shinya asked, not bothering to look at Takuya.

Takuya was annoyed yet, he suppressed his annoyance in his voice to try and steer them to what they should be doing.

"I know what I did could never be erased and the consequences of my own actions have been made apparent to me. But," Takuya said facing the others. "This is not something we should be discussing right now. Chaos. We have to go after him. We have to stop him. My actions could never be undone but, as I told Chiaki, my allegiance are with my friends. What you would make as my punishment: exile me, hold me prisoner, put me to death; whatever they are, I will accept once this is over and once I have fulfilled my promise to Izumi."

At the mention of Izumi's name, everyone perked up and asked the question Takuya and Shinya dreaded to answer.

"Izumi..." Tomoki said, "That's right. Where is she?"

Takuya walked in front of them, allowing Shinya to answer for he knew that he might break if he were the one pressed to answer that.

Shinya's answer wasn't much of an answer though. "She's been sent somewhere far from here. Away from all of this. But, this is not the time to discuss that.. We're losing time just by talking around here."

Kouji grunted. He wasn't pleased with the answer but he dreaded to know what really happened to Izumi.

"We don't stand a fighting chance against Chaos." Kouichi found his voice. "We saw a fraction of it. A small bit of Chaos' power and it was enough to literally blow us away. How do we hope to win against him?"

Takuya did not turn around to look at them. He could feel their reluctance, even against Chaos' minions, they proved that they were no match against them. He understood why they are unsure of how to proceed.

"We can beat him." Takuya assured him, for he knew something that they did not. "We can beat him if we work together."

He clenched his fist, dark flames curled itself around him.

"We have the power to beat him. He has something that only we possess and only we can use, if we choose to use it." Takuya went on. "We have to fight together. Alone we are no match against him. But, like those that had fought against him before us, when they united together an insurmountable power was born through them."

"Eos." Katsuharu said as remembered about Kaien's tale. "The sword capable of piercing through the darkness. The weapon the ancient heroes used against Chaos."

Takuya turned to face them and nodded. "That and the bonds that we share with each other and the world. He stands alone but we stand together."

* * *

**To be continued...**

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**Post Author's Notes:**

And, that is that for this chapter.  
Ah, I feel excited as we're nearing the end of the story. A couple of chapters left, I hope you guys are feeling excited as I am.

There goes Chiaki and Terrou. Honestly, I didn't want to kill them off at first but, decided that sometimes, when darkness has taken a hold of someone too much that they decided and chose to embrace it and not turn away, there is nothing much you can do about it. At least, that's how it goes for Chiaki.

As for Terrou, he was more of a monster and so, as I have written, "death is his only release".

I think that a lot of readers would have liked what happened to Chiaki, though I can't say the same for what happened to Izumi.

Ah yes, Takuya's speech was (_and is_) a bit cliched. Sorry about that but, that's how it goes and there was no way of writing it.

Speaking of writing, I feel as though my style of writing is shifting a bit. Hm, must be the books I've been reading.** *shrugs***

Anyways, reviews are very much appreciated and encouraged. Even anonymous ones.

The next chapter would be released this within this week or earlier next week, depending if we (my family and I) go through with our plans for a trip. If it gets postponed (_aw, man.._.) I will update earlier. If not, then the update would be next week.

Well, that's that. Hope you guys liked/loved this chapter. Until the next update, this is Sakura Martinez saying, "PEACE" and signing out. Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**


	66. The Crystal Castle

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**  
**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes:**

And now, the final arc of the story begins.

I had planned on updating yesterday but, our Internet connection keeled over and died for some reason. It's annoying, I know.

I can't promise you all that this would be as long a chapter as the previous ones but, I can tell you all that it will be as "meaty" as before.

Anyways, thanks are in order for those who reviewed the story and even to those who could not find time to review after reading the chapters. I know how busy life could be but, it would be nice to hear your thoughts on the chapters.

I won't prolong this part of the story as I doubt people actually take time to read them, lol. So, all I say, if you are reading this, is that I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Crystal Castle**

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_The world's history is a divine poem of which the history of every nation, every kingdom, is a canto and every man a word. It's strains have been pealing along down the centuries, and though there have been mingled the discords of warring cannon and dying men, yet to the philosophers and historians - the humble listeners - there has been a divine melody running through the song which speaks of hope and halcyon days to come._

_

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_

"We meet again, sister." Chaos greeted as he walked forward, through silver archways that were as tall as mountains and just as wide. "How long has it been since I awaited for such a reunion as this."

The Halls of Lunesca were a sight to behold. It was a long corridor with a long set of stairs at the far end which led to the Goddess of Light's throne. The walls were high yet were incomparable to height against the archways. They gleamed like diamond under the brightness of the sun's rays yet their shimmer were not painful to the eyes rather, it was soothing.

When you look at the ceiling, you will find nothing there save for the twinkling stars dancing in the vast expanse of the sky. An occasional shooting star can be see passing by leaving stardust in its wake.

Braziers, in the shape of dragons were placed along the corridor holding bright, white flames which in turn gave the room a glow unlike any other. Golden linings could be seen glinting under the light of the braziers.

An ethereal smell, difficult to describe, hung in the air.

At the top of the long staircase stood a beautiful woman with pale complexion. Her hair was long and flowing behind her back. It was silver in color but brighter and more lustrous than any known silver to man or elven. A circlet made of pure, white gold clung to her forehead. It had an emblem on the middle, a rune carved out that, when translated to the human language meant "Moon", "Light" and "Life".

Her lips were redder than the ripest cherry. Her body, well endowed, was covered with white, silk dress that flowed and wrapped around her body, fitting her perfectly. Her eyes were the same color as the moon, if not more richer and deeper than the moon's silvery hue. Her whole body glowed with a beautiful light and she radiated power.

She looked down and right at Chaos, still inhabiting Seraphim's body, her eyes held love as she looked at him. Love and pity. In his wake, she showed no sign of fear.

"And so you have come, brother." Lumina said, her voice was melodious and soft yet full of power that flowed through the hall. "I see that your destructive tendencies are still very much present within you."

"And I see that you still cling on blind faith to what humans can accomplish." Chaos retorted, taking a step forward. Undeterred by Lumina's gaze. "But they have fallen, dear Lumina. Your precious Chosen Ones - the Children of Promise - cannot hope to defeat me. They are not as strong as you once believed."

"They will prove victorious in the end." Lumina said, her voice unwavering. "And history will once again repeat with your downfall. It will always be like that, Chaos."

"Ah, but you are thinking that I am doing things just as before." Chaos said, a hint of amusement in his voice that he did not bother to hide. He continued his ascent to her throne, and towards the throne beside her that had been empty since he was banished. "Perhaps you should think outside the box as I have."

Lumina eyed him cautiously. Chaos was still a long ways from her. A thousand and more steps up the stairs leading to her throne. She didn't like how he had said it but she knew he was plotting something.

Before Chaos could take another step, Lumina raised her hand above her head. Her movement was swift yet graceful. From her hand she summoned just enough energy that could push Chaos back.

Chaos smirked as he was pushed back to the entrance of the hall. "Interesting. Your powers have not deteriorated over time."

Lumina glared at him. "Do not think for one second that my power is waning. The time you think like that would be the time of your downfall."

* * *

They stood in awe and disbelief. Never did they expect to find themselves in this place, high above and overlooking Endlessia.

They looked around, taking in all that they could see, for they know that no mortal - regardless of their race - had ever set foot on this place for more than a century. Even though the stories of this place existed, none could ever prepare anyone for what reality would bring them.

They were standing atop a pedestal made of limestone and decorated with the same gems of different color that the Gates of Gaia had. The edifice stood before the same architecture that they had used to traverse to this place - the Gates of Gaia. The Gates of Gaia on this side were as run-down as the other, only allowing a few glimpses of the beauty and glory it once held as a prized artifact.

A staircase, short and made of the same material as the pedestal, connected to the ground which was littered with grass and various kinds of floras and faunas - something that you would not have imagined to see in this place. Despite the foliage, no other living creature existed.

Trees could be seen over at the distance, though it was not something they had seen before, for these trees had white leaves and golden branches and trunks that glimmer and shined with or without the aid of light.

The edge of this plane-like world, could be seen and, if you peered over them, you would catch a glimpse of the stars and other heavenly bodies, the planet, Endlessia, loomed just below.

On the northern edge of this place lay the most beautiful castle they had ever laid eyes on. A place of power, no doubt, made of crystal with a spectrum of colors. It stood proud and time seemed to stand still around it. If kings and queens would lay eyes on it; if emperors and empresses could see it; if nobles were to gaze upon it, surely, their mouths would water and perhaps they would be willing to wage war in order to get hold of this enormous castle to make it their own. Such was human greed.

"We're in Lunesca..." Kouji mouthed in awe.

"L-Lunesca?" Gaped Junpei, not daring to believe what he heard was correct. "You can't be referring to Endlessia's moon! You don't mean _that _Lunesca, right?"

Shinya, although as awestruck as they were, was amused at what Junpei said and asked, "How many places called 'Lunesca' do you know of, Junpei?"

Junpei did not answer him. He, like everyone, still gawked at the sight of the crystal castle as they descended down the steps of the pedestal and made their way towards the castle.

Takuya could not believe that he was where he was. He had heard of the legends that speak of the fabled crystal castle and he had marveled at the stories when he was a child believing that they were true, a belief that had wavered when he grew up. And yet now, standing in its glory, the Castle of Lunesca proved to him that some legends do have facts in them.

He was staring at the beautiful castle when he felt at tingling sensation in his mind. First it was soft, then it prickled his thoughts and his consciousness. When he was about to dismiss the sensations, they suddenly grew in intensity and he heard a voice he had not thought he would hear again so soon.

"_You must hurry, Takuya." _Izumi spoke in his mind. Yet, knowing that she was communing with him through his mind, he felt as though he was standing beside her. "_Chaos is already inside the great halls of Lunesca."_

Just as she said those words, and even before he can comment on them or wrap his mind around them, her voice and the sensation that prickled his mind, vanished.

"We don't have time to gaze at the marvel of this place." Takuya reminded them of their mission, the same way that Izumi had reminded him. "We have to hurry. The goddess may need our help, Chaos is already in the castle."

Of this, Kouichi agreed and soon, everyone remembered that there were more pressing tasks at hand than to sight-see. Without any arguments, they rushed towards the castle in a much hurried pace than before.

* * *

Lumina's eyes dared not leave Chaos. Her scrutinizing gaze would have been enough for anyone who meets them to run for their lives, even though that would prove futile.

Chaos stared at her the same way knowing that this is a battle that could last for eons should they both decide on it. But, he had not the patience to allow this battle to be a prolonged one. No, he had waited centuries and more for this day when he finally returns to Lunesca's walls and overthrow the rule that has caused his demise for so long. His patience, if there was any to begin with, has been depleted a long, long time ago.

He was far stronger now than ever before. His reign, or should he say Emperor Seraphim's reign is already far and wide and he had reigned them under fear. Fear that caused many anguish and suffering that in-turn made his subjects unhappy, unruly and angry. Civil wars had started between knights who believed they were doing good and the rebels who want to cut their ties from the kingdom and see that the king be dethroned.

Chaos grinned knowing that compared to where Lumina was drawing her strength, he was now more powerful than her.

Their battle resumed when Chaos decided to attack, sending bolts of dark energy at Lumina who did not move from where she stood and instead, simply raised her hand and raise a barrier around her in the process.

The dark bolts of energy exploded when they contacted the barrier yet they did not serve their purpose in causing pain to the goddess for she was unharmed. The same could not be said to the crystal walls behind the goddess, which had been reduced to nothing more than the purest of shards.

Chaos' grin widened. He cared not for the castle and he knew how much Lumina valued it. He wanted to incur the goddess' wrath - her anger would make him that much stronger.

Lumina, of course, knew her brother well. She knew the implications of feeling anger towards something and how it fuels the God of Darkness' powers. She had learned to calm her emotions long ago, and new that even when Lunesca turns to rubble, she could easily bring it back to how it was.

Their battle raged on, with Chaos' initiating the offence, all the while Lumina did not move from where she stood and should she attack, it was only to force Chaos further back from the throne.

"I will not let you corrupt the Thrones of Lunesca." She had told him.

* * *

They had heard the explosion that had rocked the halls of Lunesca, as well as the series of other explosions that soon followed it, and they knew that Chaos had engaged Lumina in a battle that could spell the doom of all.

They wondered how well they could fare in such a battle knowing that they are nothing compared to the gods of lore.

"Could the goddess really need our help?" Tomoki could not help asking in between breaths as they dashed through the long halls of Lunesca, shaking away the curiosity to gaze at the walls and behold them.

"If she didn't," replied Kouji who tried to shake the feeling of exhaustion within him, "then what is the point in raising Chosen Ones like ourselves?"

Takuya found himself nodding in agreement to how Kouji had viewed things, from the corner of his eye, he saw that Shinya and Katsuharu also felt the same sentiment.

"The question isn't whether or not the goddess needs our help but...what is it that we can do to help?" Katsuharu said. "Whatever it is that we can do, one thing is sure: this is not our battle alone and neither is it the goddess'."

They soon found themselves climbing a set of stairs that coiled around the middle of the hall. They could not really count how many steps it took to get to the top but, when they got to the top, they were met with another corridor, this one much shorter than the previous one they had traversed and, in the far end of the hall, opposite them, were large platinum doors that were slightly ajar.

From the opening on the door, they could see glimpses and flashes of light. The sound of the battle between the two gods echoed through the halls.

They gripped their weapons tighter and took hold of whatever courage was in their hearts for they knew that they needed more than just strength alone to survive whatever lay before them.

"Whatever happens," Shinya found himself whispering to Takuya. "I am honored to fight along side you, Takuya."

Takuya was surprised at Shinya's words but he showed it in just a brief moment. His mouth then twitched into a small smile, his eyes twinkling with vigor and determination. He nodded knowing that Shinya meant what he said.

"Likewise." Was the only word he could muster, although he knew that words were not really necessary. "Though I would appreciate it if you won't die on me without helping me find our mother first."

Shinya grinned. "Of course."

But even as he said those words, and as they made their way to where the battle was raging, he could not help but wonder if he could indeed keep that promise.

* * *

**To be continued...**

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**Post Author's Notes**

Like I have said, this chapter isn't as long as the previous ones but, I did try to add more spice to it, if not make it have the same "volume" in regards to story-telling, as the other chapters.

As I have also said, this marks the beginning of the final arc of the story. This final arc is only a few chapters long and hopefully the end would satisfy everyone who had stick with the story through the years.

Although we are still quite a ways away from the end of the story, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support, and for being patient when I am unable to update for a long while.

Anyways, the next update will come by early this week (as early as Wednesday perhaps). I will try to finish this fanfic within the upcoming week and, after that, start with a new fanfic.

I do hope that you guys will review the remaining chapters (including this one) and, if you have been reviewing, that you will continue to do so.

Until the next update, this is Sakura Martinez saying, "PEACE" and signing out! Ja ne!

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**End of Post Author's Notes**


	67. The Price of Arrogance

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**  
**By Sakura Martinez**

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**Author's Notes:**

Ah, I am so glad to be able to update this fanfic today. I had thought that I would not make it on the deadline I have set myself.

Anyways, this is a wee bit longer (okay, maybe not a 'wee' bit) than the previous chapter. For this chapter, I hoped to allow everyone to read and know a little bit more about the history between Lumina and Chaos. I want everyone to catch a glimpse of how they once were and how things ended up the way it did.

Anyways, you guys will understand once you read the whole thing. So, on that note, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

**End of Author's Notes**

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**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**The Price of Arrogance**

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_In pride, in reas'ning pride, our error lies;_

_All quit their spere, and rush into the skies!_

_Pride still is aiming at the blessed abodes,_

_Men would be Angels, Angels would be Gods._

_Aspiring to be Gods if Angels fell,_

_Aspiring to be Angels men rebel._

_ - Alexander Pope_

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"Humans are queer creatures, don't you think?" A man with hair that has the color of all known shades of red spoke, his eyes, golden and somewhat feral, stared at a large basin atop an intricately designed pedestal. He wore an armor that could have made armor-smith's mouth water, for it would be something they would not be able to make.

The armor sparkled with and dimmed, as if it were made of night sky and then exploded into color, like dawn. Any normal person's eyes would have been destroyed by such spectacle in his garments but, it did not seem to bother the person this man was talking to.

A black circlet wrapped itself around his forehead, the runic and ancient symbol of the sun, death and rebirth were etched on it.

His skin was like the color of honey, and his complexion was fair. He was a handsome man but, he was no mortal.

"I find them fascinating and intriguing creatures." The woman standing beside him said. She too starred at the large basin made of pure and precious celestial gold.

The man laughed, his laugh was vibrant and strong. "You find all creatures fascinating and interesting, Lumina."

The Goddess turned her attention towards the man and said, "And you do not find them such, Chaos?"

"Their lives are fleeting, even the Elven Folks." Chaos said. "What is it that makes them interesting to you, dear sister? The humans, the elven, and all the creatures we have created are so short-lived, their minds fail to comprehend the most important of things, and they are fragile. I see nothing worth mentioning other than that."

"Then you are blind, Chaos." Lumina sighed. "If you could only walk among them and feel the things as they do then, perhaps, you will then find the beauty and wander in them."

"Then maybe you should let me walk freely among them and not confine me in this place." Said Chaos grumpily.

"And risk the destruction that may occur in the world when you do?" Lumina retorted, they had had this discussion before and yet, no matter how many times she forbade him, Chaos continued to show his desire to walk on the world below. "We cannot risk it, Chaos. Though God of Rebirth you may be, you are also the God of Destruction."

"And I have the great Celestials to thank for that." Chaos said which as much sarcasm as he could muster as he remembered the Celestials that gave birth to them.

* * *

He whirled around, blocking an attack that was directed at him. A powerful attack that, if he had been weak, would have spelled his doom.

The energy from the attack dissipated at the impact of his gloved hand. Using his own powers, he converted her attack into energy to use at his own disposal. Yes, that was one of his powers, nay, his ability.

Lumina seemed undeterred as Chaos reminded him of what he can do and reminded him that he was not just the God of Darkness and Destruction but of Rebirth as well.

The Crystal Castle of Lunesca is now only a fraction of the beauty it once was, as shattered walls and remnants of collapsed pillars littered the floor. Holes the size of elephants allowed them a glimpse of the view outside the castle with the distant world of Endlessia looming in the panorama.

Of course, no matter how ruined the great castle was, Lumina could easily repair it with her magic as soon as the battle was over and won. This allowed her to unleash her power upon Chaos and Chaos upon her.

"If that is the extent of your power," Chaos said, in a disappointed and mocking tone. "then I have to say that I won't feel as much achievement as I would have thought in defeating you, dear sister."

Lumina did not reply, however, he made known to him that she did not like what he said by sending an array of attacks using all known elements at him. Her attacks were not only fast and unrelenting but much more powerful than before, sending Chaos crashing to the other side of the great hall and causing another part of the Crystal Castle's wall to crumble.

Chaos laughed as he stood, wiping away the blood that had trickled down his chin from a wound in his mouth. He may be a god but he was still using the body of Seraphim, a mortal.

He knew that, unless he can ascend the stairs and place his hand upon his throne to regain his godly form, he would not pose much of a threat to Lumina. He also knew that at the rate he was going, Lumina could very well prevail in defending the throne from him. He needed to come up with something that would make the goddess drop her guard and allow him the chance to climb the stairs and sit into his throne.

The question now was: What can give him that opportunity?

* * *

Chaos hated every moment of it. He hated having to watch over Lunesca and Endlessia every time Lumina decided to thread in the mortal world. He hated watching her sister give up her power from time to time in order to become a mortal and live amongst humans and the other lesser races. He hated seeing his sibling and fellow god and guardian of Endlessia fall in love with a mortal man - human or elven - and give birth to a demi-god, a halfling. He hated being helpless and unable to interfere when death takes the toll on her mortal self before regaining her godly powers and form.

Yet, underneath all of that hate which he had came to know and accept as part of his being, he knew that, more than anything, he was jealous of her.

He was jealous that she can walk among those that they had created and be one of them. He was jealous that she can learn so much about them. He was jealous that mortals loved her as a mortal, even when they are unaware that she was the Goddess of Light.

Whether she was in her mortal or godly form, people loved and adored Lumina. Whereas, people feared and were wary of him. Of course, he felt he understood why. He was the God of Darkness, Destruction and Rebirth. Although, many fail to remember the rebirth part of his title.

Even though he understood, he could not help but be jealous. Lumina can do as she pleased while he was locked and forbidden from entering the world of mortals.

He had tried once to live among them but death, famine and war broke lose. That was how he and Lumina came to realize that he could not and never will be able to walk amongst men.

He had tried to, as Lumina did, live a life of a mortal. It proved useless as, even as a mortal child growing to adulthood, he was shunned and regarded as a bad omen. And for good reason, for the same power of death and destruction seeped through his mortal being and unto the world. Even when he tried to demonstrate that he had the power to revive and give life as Lumina can, people feared him even more.

A 'cursed' child. They had called him during his stay as a mortal. Their fear caused them to act irrational and commit a sin - killing his mortal self just when he had reached the age of adulthood. It was the first time that he hated humans so much that he wished Lumina would consent to his request to annihilate that village.

Of course, Lumina did not. Although, she did punish them in her own way - a way she thought was just. It did not satiate the desire for revenge that lingered in Chaos' heart, however, he was not able to act on that feeling. He was bound by the rules of the Celestials and he loved Lumina so much that he did not want her to be angry of him. More than anything, despite the jealousy he felt, he wanted Lumina to love him more than she loved those that they created.

* * *

"Why do you still pursue this, Chaos?" Lumina asked. She had asked that question over and over again, every time they would meet. She knew the answer but, she asked because of her hope that Chaos would surrender and have a change of heart.

"Because it is my desire." Was Chaos' reply. It always has been.

"To destroy the world and its denizens? The world and the creatures we have both created with our power? To destroy that which we are tasked to protect?" Lumina asked. She could never comprehend his actions, even and most certainly during the war many eons ago. The war where Chaos made known his intention of ruling both the heavens and the earth.

Chaos stared at her with his eyes full of hatred, and then, there were no need for words. No words could sway him. He had dedicated every fibre of his being in seeing this through.

The battle between the two gods resumed thereafter. No words were further said. Instead, both concentrated on what it was they wish to accomplish: Lumina on defending the thrones while Chaos with his fervent desire to regain his godly status.

The blows they exchanged with one another was enough to destroy mountains and split open oceans.

It was during this exchange that Takuya and the others found when they finally arrived. They were awed at how the gods fought one another. There weren't any physical contact during this battle and the gods only fought with magic - magic that they did not think existed.

"She's beautiful...and fierce." Kouichi managed to say, when they laid their eyes on the goddess.

The others nodded. Agreeing with him and his sentiments.

"This place is dangerous..." Teppei managed to say amidst gawking at the fight that was flowing before their eyes.

The roar of the powers that clashed was intense that they all did their best not to be blown away. If the gods noticed their presence, they did not let it bother or distract them in their battle.

Once again, Takuya felt that tingling sensation. And once again, he felt Izumi's presence as if she was with him, though he knew she was in a far-off place, under the grace of Milanai.

He looked around and realize that no one else felt what he felt, nor saw what he saw when he saw Izumi standing beside him. She was only visible to him, and he knew the reason why: their strong bond.

She did not open her mouth but words flowed to his mind, and conveyed what she wanted to say.

"_Lumina would not hold out much longer._" She said, her voice seemed to echo in his head.

"_What do you mean?_" Takuya asked, his attention divided between her and the battle that was raging before them. "_She is in equal footing with Chaos..._"

"_Not for long._" Came Izumi's grave reply. She then faced him and explained. "_Chaos has learned how to convert the negative human emotions into energy. The actions done by evil men allow him to become stronger, feeding him like how spiders feed on ants. The more chaos, war, hatred, anger, and fear there is in the world, the more powerful Chaos becomes._"

Izumi then turned her attention at the battle. Her holographic-like self flickering. She looked like a ghost to him.

"_The battles being waged around Endlessia are feeding him. The anger and resentment the people feel towards Seraphim and his Empire is fueling him. The fear that the rebels have within their hearts, as well as the fear that everyone feels for they believe the end is at hand, is making him stronger than Lumina._" Izumi went on. "_If no help is given to Lumina, it could very well spell the end of the goddess and the beginning of Chaos' assent to power once more._"

"_What would you have us do, then?_" Takuya found himself asking. He was unsure. One thing he does know is that Izumi has the wisdom of Milanai and the guardians past to help answer his question.

"Y_ou must all combine your efforts and fight. Fight with courage and with the desire to protect the world and all you hold dear._" Was Izumi's answer before her holographic image flickered and vanished.

* * *

Lumina paced back and forth in front of him and the scene that hovered above them. She was very much troubled and she did not bother to conceal that fact.

"How can this be?" She wondered aloud. "How did humans came to know such violence?"

"How can they not?" Chaos asked which earned him a glare from Lumina.

"I hope you have nothing to do with this Chaos." Lumina said, her hopes mirrored what she firmly believed and know to be true, and which Chaos assured him.

"I may be the God of Death but I do not revel it." Chaos replied. "You, yourself, admired what humans are capable of. Perhaps, you missed the fact that they may also be capable of evil deeds. They have proven that to me in my mortal form, or have you forgotten, dear sister?"

Of course, she hadn't forgotten, and she told him that. It appalled her to know that humans could kill one of their own out of fear, a fear that was unwarranted.

The image hovering above them depicted men slaughtering one another in an effort to gain control over a small piece of land. The bloodshed was something neither god approved of.

"It would appear," Chaos said as he watched Lumina continue to pace back and forth, trying to find what caused humans to act so...evil. "that even if I do not walk among them, they would still end up the same way if I had."

"I hope you are not implying that I allow you to walk freely among them at a time like this, Chaos." Lumina said.

Chaos waved his hand in defence. "Of course not. It just...amuses me to find humans capable of evil. It would appear that they are as much capable of doing evil as they are doing good. Though, at the present, their ability to do kindness to others is obscured by their bestial instincts to kill one another and do harm to the earth."

"Your hatred for their kin is quite obvious, Chaos."

At that, Chaos laughed. "Perhaps. But, you have to agree that there is some truth in what I had said."

Lumina closed her eyes. She hated to say it but she did agree to what he was saying. Ever since witnessing the murder of Chaos' mortal self, she had grown farther apart from the humans and had learned to lessen her trust and faith in them.

"The Elven Folks are wise to hide themselves from the humans." Chaos continued to speak, watching the spectacle of war between two small villages unfold before his eyes. He saw how one man struck an old man in the head with a silver hammer, cracking the old man's skull and drenching the earth with the crimson liquid that is blood. Chaos recoiled as he remembered how the village had attacked him the same way. Without mercy. "Humans have learned far more than what would do them good."

Lumina nodded. Slowly as it may have been but it had came apparent to her that humans have learned of the shadow that veiled the world and all that lived in it - the shadow that is called 'evil'.

* * *

It didn't take much convincing to make the others agree that the time was at hand to fight Chaos and that Lumina needed their help.

As Takuya had also believed, his companions also believed that Lumina was in fair ground in her battle against Chaos.

"We may just get in her way." Tomoki had also said.

What surprised Takuya was how eager Kouji was. Takuya was not the only one surprised with Kouji's eagerness to fight alongside the goddess and against Chaos. Even Kouichi, who had come to know his brother well, was surprised.

"He seems so reckless now." Kouichi observed as Kouji did not bother to listen to whatever plans they were discussing on how to attack Chaos and defend Lumina.

Kouichi then decided to confront Kouji to which Kouji answered.

"I am not reckless." Kouji said as he adjusted the gauntlets that were wrapped around his lower arm and hand. "I know full well what we need to do. Now is the moment when the prophecy will be fulfilled, Kouichi. _Our_ moment to bring honor to ourselves and our nation has come. _We _wil be the one to defeat Chaos. The prophecy said so."

Puzzled and surprised, Kouichi shook his head and said, "Don't depend too much on the prophecy, brother. They are only words. What will determine our battle is not the prophecy, regardless of whether or not it is about us, but of how well we stand together with our comrades and how well we fight."

If Kouji had heard Kouichi's wise words, he didn't show it. All his mind could think about was the glory in defeating Chaos.

He glanced over at Takuya who was getting ready, with Shinya beside him. Kouji gritted his teeth in anger and frustration. Takuya had been a promising force and had been regarded as the person who can possibly turn the tides of battle against the Empire, prior to the whole Chaos-thing.

"_Takuya is nothing more than a failed Knight's Apprentice._" Kouji found himself thinking. "_It is I who shall become the beacon of hope and be the one to destroy Chaos, not him. I am the one who has Commander Orimoto's confidence not him. He may have taken Izumi's heart but that is the only thing and the last thing he can take away from me._"

* * *

Somehow, the blood feud between the two villages escalated until it it was a war between the northern set of villages and the western villages.

Chaos can not help but find the humans pathetic all the more.

"To fight and kill for the sake of a small piece of land..." Chaos muttered to himself, he was alone at the moment, for Lumina was resting. "How poorly and how little humans care for life. They kill and do wrong amongst their kin for the pettiest of things."

He was in his reverie when, as he watched men kill even those who cannot defend themselves - women, children and the elders - something powerful stirred within Chaos.

Confused at what the tug of power could mean, and wondering if it was a sign from Lumina, Chaos left the pavilion and went to find the goddess of light.

"Did you call for me?" He asked as soon as he arrived at her garden where all known plants - flowers, bushes, shrubs, and trees, grow and where Lumina was resting, sitting down around a carpet of an assortment of flowers.

Lumina looked at him, obviously surprised by his presence and his question.

"No." She answered, and then asked, "Why?"

Chaos shook his head and scratched his chin. "Nothing. I just thought that I felt you calling me."

"Perhaps you are tired, Chaos." Lumina said, worried that maybe keeping watch by himself was taxing the god of darkness. "Maybe you should join me and rest for a while."

Chaos smiled but shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern but, someone has to keep watch so that those foolish humans do not end up destroying that which we had worked hard to create."

Lumina nodded and watched as Chaos walked out of the garden and went back to the pavillion where the giant basin on the pedestal and where they can view the going-ons in Endlessia.

At that time, Lumina felt something different with Chaos but shook the thought from her mind thinking that it may only be because the god of darkness refused to rest.

* * *

Kouji did not wait for much longer as he initiated his own attack. Everyone of his companions and allies had to scramble after him, changing tactics, just to ensure that Kouji would have someone to assist him. It was not the best of plans but, granted the circumstances, Takuya and the others had no choice but to make do with what they have.

Shinya didn't know if he hated Kouji for not thinking things through or if he was amazed with how determined Kouji was. The look in his eyes displayed a hunger. A hunger for revenge and victory. Normally, that would be a good thing but, Shinya cannot help but see the recklessness in Kouji's actions.

"He's going to endanger us all!" Shouted Shinya over the roar of the attacks that was being pummeled into Chaos on both fronts while Kouji didn't bother to use what remained of his power but instead went head-to-head with Chaos using nothing but his sword and his swordsmanship.

"We don't have a choice!" Grunted Junpei as he helped Tomoki deflect a powerful blast of energy that was directed at Kouji, who seemed not to take notice of what just happened but, instead, continued hacking and slashing at Chaos to no avail. "Kouji looks like he wants to do things his way!"

"Well, there goes our teamwork!" Retorted Teppei, who is obviously annoyed at how Kouji is jeopardizing their mission.

Chaos seemed to be enjoying himself however, while Lumina took this reprieve to regain the energy that she has lost.

Just then, Kouji managed to bruise Chaos' shoulder. Chaos, angered that such an attack slip through his defences, decided to counter-attack. Summoning as much strength as he could muster at a short time, Chaos called forth a small ball of dark energy, writhing in his hands and emitting crackling noises. He then hurled the ball of energy towards Kouji who tried to deflect it using his own power.

The difference between their powers were staggering. It wasn't much of a contest as Chaos' energy ball attack sent Kouji flying, as if he was a grain of rice being flicked away.

Chaos laughed, "Is that all you can do, human?"

As Kouji crashed towards the side of the hall, Kouichi immediately jumped in to attack Chaos, hoping that he could do enough to keep Chaos busy while the others tend to his brother.

"Now it's my turn." Cried Kouichi as he went about attacking Chaos with such a speed that only he could muster. If a normal person were to watch them, they would not see Kouichi but rather only see blurs of shadows.

He slashed and thrust with his twin daggers, parrying and dodging whenever Chaos decided to attack him, and yet, he could only do so much before he began to slow down.

Kouichi looked over at his side to see how the others have fared and if they had managed to help Kouji. Seeing that Kouji was back to his feet, Kouichi jumped back. Sweat trickling down his forehead, his neck and his back.

"This is too much..." He muttered in between breaths. Fast as he may be, he was still easily fatigued.

"Speed can only do so much." Laughed Chaos once more. For a moment, the Chosen Ones wondered if he had forgotten about Lumina, who was still resting and watching for an opening that she could use to end the battle quickly. "And you humans are so fragile and weak. Nothing you do can opt to hinder me from my plans...from my revenge!"

"You won't be victorious." Gasped Kouichi, blood trickling from his arms. He was badly wounded and none of his companions were adept in healing as Izumi was. "The prophecy..."

"I care not what the prophecy states!" Belowed Chaos. He bent over as if he was going to throw a bowling ball and said, "How well do you think you have understood the prophecies of old? How confident are you on _your _interpretation? You are _not_ the only one who mirrors light and your brother, darkness."

Kouji didn't seem to want to hear what Chaos wanted to say as he roared a war cry and, before anyone could stop him, he had dashed towards Chaos.

Chaos grinned, this is what he was expecting the human to do. Suddenly, an insurmountable amount of energy erupted from his hand, and, without prolonging what was inevitable, he hurled the energy towards the Chosen Ones.

The tingling sensation returned to Takuya and he heard Izumi say, "_Defend!_"

In a quick flash of movement, one that Takuya could not comprehend nor remember what he did, he had managed to summon a barrier around him and his allies.

The barrier was enough to reach Kouji and it struggled with the strain of the energy Chaos' attack had. The two powers colliding, one in offence, the other in defense, was enough to cause the earth the rumble, the crystal castle to shake and break and lighting to flash at the site where the two energies collided.

Takuya maintained his ground, surprised that he was able to use such power - a power that only Izumi had. He knew the others realized the element by which his barrier was of, and he could only imagine the confused and surprised look on their faces. He knew what their question would be and he became worried on what and how he would answer to them.

"_Don't think, Takuya! Focus!_" Izumi reminded him. "_Let go of your thoughts for now!_"

Takuya felt himself nod.

As surprised as he and his allies were of how he is able to summon such an advanced and powerful wind barrier, surprise was also evident on the Dark One's features. But, such an expression only lasted for a short while before Chaos grinned once more.

* * *

"What's the meaning of this, Chaos?" Questioned Lumina, she did not bother to hide the fact that she was angry. Very, very angry.

"I think you know. I don't need to explain myself to you, Lumina." Chaos retorted. "The time of your rule has come to an end. Endlessia is only so big to allow only one god to rule it. And I have found that I am just the very god qualified enough to do it."

"Have you gone mad?" Lumina asked. She did not dare believe that what she heard was correct. "We are no rulers of Endlessia. We are its guardian and sustainers!"

"And I have grown tired of that responsibility." Chaos said. "The world needs not a guardian and a sustainer. What the world needs is a supreme being who will rule with an iron hand. See how humans have become because of our lack of intervention?"

"You say those words trying to hide in a veil of justice but what you are proposing is unjust and is not for us to decide!" Lumina tried to reason with him. "Evil as humans had become, not all of them possessed a dark heart. You are being clouded by your own hunger for vengeance, Chaos... and... I fear that you too have become corrupted by the evil force that binds all darkness."

"And why should I not make use of such force?" Chaos asked, his voice mocking. "I _am_ the God of Darkness. It is my right as it is also to wield the Holy Sword, Eos!"

"The right to wield Eos is a right you have forsaken, Chaos." Lumina said, there was a hint of sadness and regret in her voice. Though her face did not betray those feelings. "You are now a tainted guardian, a tainted god and a tainted sustainer. If you continue to pursue this path, I will have no choice but to strip you of your godly form and powers and cast you into an eternal exile."

"I see that war is what you desire to wage upon me, Lumina." Chaos said. "I see now that it was pointless to talk to you. If it is war that you desire then it is war that you shall have. I swear unto you that all the forces of darkness will not stop so long as you sit on your throne!"

* * *

**To be continued...**

**

* * *

**

**Post Author's Notes**

And this is where we stop for now.  
I hope you guys got a bit of a clear view regarding Chaos and Lumina. The stories here regarding them will have an impact on the later chapters (and even the end) of this fanfic.

I know I said that I plan to finish this within the week. Unfortunately, I think that it could take until Monday or Wednesday next week to finish. Although, I can't say for certain but, I will still try to update and finish the fanfic within the week's time.

Anyways, I hope you guys continue to give me your reviews until the end of this story, which is now inevitable. It really makes me happy to read the reviews that you guys give and I appreciate you guys for taking the time to share your thoughts. So, thanks.

Having said that, I am planning to update the fanfic on Friday (if I can) or Saturday. So, until then, this is Sakura Martinez, saying "PEACE" and signing out. Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**


	68. Despair and Hope

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**  
**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

Author's Notes:  
I hope this is a pleasant surprise to everyone who has been waiting for another swift yet, meaningful update on this fanfic.

I didn't expect to finish writing this so soon but, ah, well. It is a good thing that I finished it anyways.

I won't turn the Author's Notes into a lengthy speech so, just go on an read the chapter! Enjoy!

**End of Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Despair and Hope**

* * *

_Where there is hope, one is bound to expect despair to accompany it, for without despair, the power of hope diminishes, and its importance is not thought of._

_However, as strong as the clutches of despair may be in times of darkness, hope should never be forgotten. For each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, these ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance._

_Despair can never be eliminated, however, for black and white are the colors of photography. They symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind if forever subjected._

* * *

Takuya panted and dropped on his knees to the ground. He felt as though he could pass out at any moment, his energy drained and spent as if he had run a long marathon without rest.

His throat was sore and dry, sweat trickled down his muscles which were aching. His sight was blurred and his breaths were haggard.

"H-how...?" Kouichi asked, his voice shaking. He had felt the power that flowed out of Takuya when he was using the barrier. It was the same feeling he felt whenever Izumi was using her powers but, at the same time, it was more than that feeling. "How did you do that?"

Takuya forced himself to stand but, he managed to do so barely and with the assistance from Shinya who allowed Takuya to lean on him.

"Izumi lent her powers to Takuya." It was Shinya who answered, and as he did so, he could feel a thousand different questions whirling in the minds of their allies and companions. His mind, quick as ever, had managed to devise an explanation to each of these potential queries.

"What do you mean 'lent her powers'?" Kouji managed to ask in between deep breaths. "What happened to Izumi to let him use her powers?"

"She...was tired from fighting with Takuya, trying to free him from his clutches - which she eventually did manage to do." Shinya explained, choosing his words carefully. "She wanted to fight along still but... we told her it was dangerous for her condition. So, she merged her powers with Takuya thinking that this way, she can still fight with us... even if she is far away."

Whatever was to be said, whatever words should have been exchanged at that point was lost when Chaos spoke, clapping his hands, obviously amused at what had occured.

"Bravo, Takuya." Chaos said, the dust that billowed from the clash of powers, slowly subsided. "It seems you have managed to utilize one of your amazing abilities - the ability to assimilate the power of others."

Takuya glared at Chaos, the being responsible for all that has happened and the reason why Izumi had to become the new guardian of the world tree. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth in anger.

"_Don't._" He heard Izumi's voice but she did not see her. "_Don't hold on to anger, Takuya. You will only make Chaos that much stronger._"

Takuya inhaled and exhaled slowly, calming himself down. He didn't need to tell her that he knew she was right.

Takuya knew that he couldn't allow anger to flow through them so easily. But, even with that knowledge, the fact remained that it would be hard to let go of his anger, and to let everyone do the same. Anger is part of who they were. An emotion that all sentient beings possess.

"Ability?" Junpei asked, surprised. "You have that ability, Takuya?"

Takuya shrugged, or at least, tried to. "I don't know about that. All I know is that Izumi has allowed me to use her powers, and I am going to use it along with the accursed flame to fight along side you guys, and put an end to Chaos' schemes."

Chaos laughed. "Do you think those powers will be enough? I think not!"

"We won't fully know that until we try, right?" Takuya said. If the others nodded, that was something they had not thought of: How will they know if they are strong enough to defeat Chaos if they were not willing to try and fight him to the best of their abilities?

"Takuya's right." Teppei said, he wore a grin on his face. "If our power is enough or not... we won't really know until we give it our all. I suppose, even under this circumstances, we can still surprise you, Chaos."

Chaos laughed once more. "There is nothing that humans can do that will surprise me now. You humans are all the same believing that you can do all the things you set out to do and even believing that you are better than gods and can replace us. Well, I shall show you the despair that comes from such a thought!"

At those words, and, even before Takuya could recuperate after such a feat, Chaos once again let up another attack. This time, he used the same dark flames that Takuya could conjure.

Without hesitating, Shinya jumped in front and let go of his own brand of flame. The black and white flames danced and roared with each other, trying to engulf the other in an attempt to overwhelm their enemy.

"I can't keep this up..." grunted, his outstretched hands, from where the white flames were being summoned, beginning to shake.

Takuya nodded, he then turned towards Kouji and the others and asked, "Can you guys attack Chaos from here using whatever powers you have?"

Everyone nodded save for Kouji who simply stared at Takuya. He didn't want to have anything to do with whatever Takuya has planned.

Everyone had prepared to retaliate, with Shinya still fighting with Chaos for dominance over the flames, when Kouji walked up to Takuya and said, "I still do not trust you."

Takuya did not look at him as he replied, "Yeah, I know."

* * *

Lumina forced herself to stand up. She was still weak from fighting against Chaos. Though she may be a goddess, she was a goddess of light, love and life, as such, fighting had never been part of her repertoire. She did all she could to stand up against Chaos but, against him who was born for battle, Lumina could only hold her own for a short while before fatigue could set down on her.

She continued to wonder, even until now, how things could have ended up as they did. She wondered what the Celestials: Solaris of the Sun, Luna of the Moon and Vesper of the Stars, would think of them now. Perhaps they are as disappointed of them as she was.

"_How will I explain to them this?_" She wondered as she pushed herself to stand up, watching as the Chosen Ones fought against Chaos with all of their might. "_How will I explain what had become of Chaos?_"

She then remembered what they had promised the Celestials, the beings who created them: to oversee and protect Endlessia...even at the cost of their lives. Both she and her brother, Chaos, had swore that oath using the ancient tongue. It was an oath that should have bound them to their word but then, Chaos broke his oath and she learned that even they whom people worship as gods are capable of such misdeeds.

Admittedly, Lumina was at fault as well. She had broke the oath many times in the past however, what she did was not as extreme as what Chaos did. She had thought it to be for the best interest of all when she created the Dragon Tome and used it to shackle humans and bind them to do what she wants, stripping them of their freedom. She had chose to cast away her belief in them and their ability to do good. And, she would have continued doing so if it were not for the first of the Chosen Ones who had shown her the error of her ways.

One of the many things that made her different from Chaos was that she accepted the fact that she made a mistake and did her part to correct that mistake.

As she watched the humans fight against Chaos once again, Luminan could not help but feel the shift in the world below. She felt Endlessia rumble and she remembered how Lunesca was designed so that what was happening in that place could be felt by the world below.

The power, overflowing from both the Chosen Ones and Chaos was endangering Endlessia. If the battle is not won soon, or not stopped, then Endlessia would end up in a poor state and return to how it once was - uninhabitable.

* * *

The ground trembled and volcanoes began to wake from their long slumber, threatening to spill the hot, molten rocks out of their mouths.

The animals of all shape and sizes, all kinds of animals from beings of the sky to beings of the earth and water, shuddered as they could feel that something terrible was happening.

The wind howled with fury and large waves crashed through the shores threatening to engulf anything in its path.

Storms raged in every and all parts of the world. Storms whose intensity surprised those who had lived long enough to know that such storms should and could never exist.

The fury of nature lashed out on the world in every possible means, causing fear, panic and havoc to ensue.

Those who were oblivious to the fight occurring in Lunesca could not help but wonder in fear if the end of the world has come. Even those who knew of the battle believed that it was time for the apocalypse and they wondered if the Chosen Ones had failed.

A murmur of prayers and wails of panic, fear, and disbelief rang on Endlessia. It was so much so that the battles and skirmishes occurring near and far was put to a standstill and people clamored in search of a safe haven. All wondering how much longer before the sky falls down on them and the ground gives way and swallow them whole.

In all of this, the feeling of despair was strong, everyone seemed to have abandon the feeling of hope for they felt their powerlessness and knew that there was nothing that they could do.

* * *

Chaos growled as the attacks hit him and snapped him out of his concentration, causing him to lose the battle with the flames against Shinya. They saw that he was wounded but, they soon saw Chaos' wounds disappearing, being healed by the negative emotions that he was using as his power.

The emotions emanating from the world below was aiding Chaos, that much they knew, healing him of whatever wounds they may inflict on him and renewing whatever energy he has lost.

In a sense, Chaos was invincible and he will remain that way unless they could find a way to stop the negative flow of energy. Katsuharu could not help but note how they would have a better chance of turning water to gold than finding a way to stop Chaos from feeding off those energies.

"Of course that would be easier." Snorted Tomoki, even amidst the danger that they are facing, the young Chosen of the Ice and Snow can find time to laugh. "You can do that since that is within your power, Katsuharu... You are the Chosen One of Metal."

Tired as they were, they could not help but chuckle at that.

"Perhaps you humans do not see the gravity of the situation." Chaos said as he saw them laughing, as tired as they were.

"Well, we didn't really think there would be gravity here on the moon." Joked Junpei under his breath. It was loud enough for his friends to hear causing them to chuckle even more.

Chaos eyes burned with anger. Whether he heard what Junpei had said or not, they didn't know. Without another word, Chaos once again attacked them with the same ball of energy as before however, this time, the amount of energy on the attack was even more staggering than before.

Takuya did as he had before, summoning a barrier with the aid of Izumi. The barrier crackled, threatening to break under the immense pressure. Takuya's breath became shallow as he felt his strength waning even more.

"_If this keeps up, I'm going to deplete even my life force._" He thought to himself.

"_Use Milanai, Takuya._" Izumi spoke in his mind.

"_No. You said so yourself, Izumi, Milanai is dying. If I do use the World Tree's power, that will only quicken the process... and, who knows what'll happen next."_ Takuya responded to her suggestion. "_No. I won't use Milanai's power._"

"_You'll die if you don't!_" Argued Izumi. She could feel him fading while trying to maintain the barrier and protect their friends.

"_I would rather die than learn later of what'll happen to you when the World Tree is gone_." Takuya's tone held such a finality in it than he thought Izumi had accepted his answer.

"_Don't be a fool, Takuya!_" Retorted Izumi. Without another word, Izumi allowed Milanai's power to flow through her and to Takuya who could do nothing but accept it.

With Milanai lending her strength, Takuya was able to hold the barrier long enough until the energy from Chaos' attack was depleted. When the attack vanished along with its threat, the barrier immediately crumbled as Takuya fell to the ground.

Chaos laughed. He could feel Takuya's strength ebbing away into nothingness and he knew that the young man could not hold on for much longer nor could he summon a barrier strong enough to hold out his next attack.

Without waiting for Takuya to recover, much less giving him the time to do so, Chaos summoned all the strength he could muster without hurting himself, and formed it into a much stronger attack. Without delay, he immediately flung the attack at the humans.

With all his will, Takuya forced himself to stand and block the attack with another barrier.

"Where is his strength coming from?" Chaos found himself asking. "He is but a human!"

"Takuya, this is dangerous!" Shinya said amidst the roar brought by the collision of powers.

"I don't...have a choice!" Cried Takuya as he placed all his effort in powering up the barrier that was beginning to flicker.

Another surge of power flowed through him from Izumi and from Milanai. But, the amount of power from them combined could not hold out the attack much longer. Izumi made it known to Takuya as the leaves of the giant tree began to turn from its vibrant green and golden colors to a pale brown.

The Chosen Ones, seeing the barrier slowly being deteriorated by Chaos' attack could only hope and pray for a miracle for they knew that if no miracle would occur, if no force were to step in and help, they would surely meet their doom.

Without waiting for his attack to die down, Chaos released another energy attack. It was in the same magnitude and force as his earlier attack. When the two energies collided, it powered up the attack and within seconds obliterated the barrier protecting the Chosen Ones.

Takuya closed his eyes as he saw the massive energy making its way towards them with the broken pieces of the barrier in its backdrop.

"_This is it, then?_" He thought to himself before he blacked out from the strain of having to call upon such advance barrier and having to use it to deflect Chaos' attacks. "_In the end I was powerless... I am sorry, Izumi._"

* * *

Lumina saw it as if it was playing before her in slow motion. She saw how Chaos' attack breached and destroyed the barrier that Takuya had conjured. She felt, as the goddess of life and as the one who gave Endlessia the World Tree, Milanai, aiding Takuya in his plight. She saw the look of triumph etched in Chaos' face. And, at once, she knew what she had to do.

Mustering as much speed as she could, Lumina flew to the aid of the Chosen Ones who were too shocked to know what was going on. She placed herself in between the hunter and the prey, defending the Chosen Ones with her own barrier.

Lumina winced as the attack clashed with her defence and at once, she experienced what Takuya had to go through with his barrier.

She heard the chosen ones gasp as they saw her standing before them, deflecting Chaos' attack and the look of annoyance in Chaos as he realized that she had step in to defend the humans.

Calling forth another power, Lumina managed to quell down the attack. Once the energy subsided, she told Shinya to see how Takuya was doing, something that the older Kanbara agreed to do.

She did not look at him as he clamored to get to his brother and check up on Takuya. Instead, Lumina's attention was placed all on Chaos.

"You broke another oath, sister." Chaos sneered. "For one who talks of values and laws, you did not seem to care breaking them and bending the laws in your every whim."

"'A god must never interfere in the battle of mortals.' That is the rule you are referring to, is it not, Chaos?" Lumina asked. The Chosen Ones noted how weary she sounded and looked. "I did not break that oath for this is not a battle between mortals. Not only that, I have sworn to do everything I can and aide in anyway necessary in order to ensure the protection of the world. I am fulfilling that oath by helping the Chosen Ones fight against you."

"I may be the God of Darkness, Chaos. However," Chaos spoke in a menacing tone. "I am still using the body of the king, Seraphim, and as such, I am still a mortal though my powers may be well above them. I have yet to retrieve my godly form and powers. You _have _broken an oath, Lumina!"

Lumina was taken aback. She had forgotten that small fact. As realization dawned upon her, she felt her strength leaving her, such was the price of breaking an oath, an oath spoken with the ancient tongue.

"Step aside, Lumina." Warned Chaos as he summoned another powerful energy at the palm of his hands. "This is still a battle between mortals. Should you continue to defend them...well, I am sure you know full well the consequences of your actions."

Lumina did not budge however. She remained where she was standing, full of dignity and the desire to protect the Chosen Ones and readied herself to defend them once more.

When Chaos realized that Lumina was not going to heed his warning, he raised his hand and said, "So be it."

The attack flew towards them and Lumina immediately called forth her barrier after she, herself, had summoned her own attack to meet with Chaos' head-on.

It would appear, however, that Lumina made a mistake in calculating the strength of Chaos' attack, for when his and her attacks collided, Chaos' energy easily destroyed Lumina's attack and, within seconds, was fighting with Lumina's barrier.

"Damn it!" Grunted Kouji as he pounded his blood fist into the ground, pushing away the pain he felt when he hit it. "We can't keep defending forever. We can't hope to win if all we do is defend!"

"But how are we suppose to attack him? He's faster than us, we can't outmaneuver him." Kouichi asked, reminding Kouji of his attempt.

"I can help you with that." Lumina said as she heard what the Chosen Ones were discussing. "My attack may be weak but, I can help increase the speed of one of you and hurl you to Chaos."

"Hurl one of us? What do you mean, goddess?" Junpei asked, though he already has a vague idea of what the goddess is planning to do.

A small, playful smile manage to escape from Lumina's lips. "You'll see. So, who will it be? I can only send one person and protect that same person only once. So choose carefully, heroes."

Without thinking twice, Kouji stepped forward. "I'll go."

Everyone, save for the goddess, looked at him like he has lost his mind, which they also asked him in unison. He was wounded, battered and tired, after all.

"Are you sure, Kouji Minamoto?" the goddess asked, she didn't face him for she was still concentrating on the barrier.

Kouji nodded. She could feel the determination in him. Lumina could not help but wonder if Kouji has still placed his faith on the prophecy.

"Very well. Get ready." Was all Lumina said.

Kouji poised himself. Lumina's thoughts flowed to him, letting him know what she intends to do and what he, himself, needs to do. Kouji could not help but grin at the goddess' plan, as dangerous as it might be.

The moment that the energy from Chaos' attack subsided, Lumina break down the barrier and, using the power of wind, hurled Kouji towards Chaos, his sword aimed at the god of darkness.

Sure enough, the Chaos did not expect this attack for he had already let another energy attack at Lumina and the Chosen Ones she is protecting and was focused on that attack.

The attack did not hurt Kouji as he flew above it but, with the barrier down, Lumina felt the full force of the attack. Kouji did not notice it but pressed on with his attack, managing to plunge the sword on Chaos' heart.

The god wailed in pain and fury as Kouji left his sword and jumped back, panting.

* * *

They gathered around her as she felt her energy fading. The attack that Chaos has unleashed was far more powerful than she had anticipated and, without the barrier, having been hit by it with full force has proved fatal to her.

They didn't speak, nor did they need to. She can feel what it was they wanted to convey - gratitude, fear, despair and...hope. As small a twinkle as it was, she could feel that their hearts were still hopeful despite knowing what awaited the goddess.

Having broken the oath she had given had drained her of half her godly powers. Having done it a second time made her almost a mortal. And, as such, despite whatever powers it was that was left within her, she has gambled all she can and placed her hopes for the future on the shoulder of these young heroes.

She knew the consequence yet, she as death began to take a hold on her, she could not help but smile.

She had done all that she could and, if there is on regret that was in her heart, it was that she couldn't save Chaos from himself.

With a final burst of light, Lumina vanished, leaving no trace behind.

* * *

Takuya floated in that all-too-familiar abyss of darkness once again. He sighed, having hoped never to return to that place.

He wondered if he would meet Izumi there once again and if Izumi would try to save him from his current predicament. But, try as he might, he could not find a means to communicate with her as he had been able to do before. He could not feel the tingling sensation, which was a sign that he and Izumi were connected in thought.

"So I am alone once again." Takuya sighed as he felt himself landing on an invisible ground.

"You are never alone, Takuya, no matter how secluded you may feel." Came a voice and, in a brilliant flash of light, Lumina showed herself to Takuya, lighting the darkened abyss. Gone was the darkness which was now transformed into a bright, white light.

The light was so bright that Takuya had to squint his eyes.

"Your heart connects you with the people you have met and will continue to do so in the future," the goddess went on. "That is the reason why, no matter how alone humans may feel, the truth remains that they are never truly alone."

"Goddess Lumina." Gasped Takuya as he realized who he was talking to. "What are you doing here? I-I mean...what happened? I thought this place was a recluse?"

"This place is not a place that anyone can stumble into." Came the confusing reply from Lumina. "This is not your recluse nor does this "place" belong solely to you. The Crossroad - that is what this place is called."

"The Crossroad?" Takuya asked. He looked around, hoping to see a branching road. All he saw, however, was nothing but white.

"It is a place where only those who has to make a heavy choice can enter." Lumina explained. "There is a choice that you have to make now, Takuya. The same goes for me."

"What do you mean?" Takuya asked. "What choice? Haven't I already made my choice with Izumi?"

Lumina shook her head. "That is her choice, not yours. You merely agreed to what she has decided. This choice, is something you alone need to make."

Just then, something materialized itself in the space between Takuya and Lumina, floating.

It was a sword filled with beautiful jewels, similar to the jewels that adorned the Throne of the Gods, as Takuya had seen, and the same jewels that they have seen on the Gates of Gaia.

The jewels shined with different colors, from crimson to gold; from blue to brown; from green to purple; from silver to bronze; from platinum to black. 12 jewels all in all. And in each jewel, Takuya could sense an immense power flowing through them.

The jewels were positioned so that they encircled the sword's pommel. In the middle of the pommel, surrounded by the 12 jewels, was an even larger stone. The stone was twice the size of the jewel and it glowed in a wave of colors, changing hues as the time flies.

The grip of the sword was as decorated as the pommel and it was shaped like intertwined snakes, with the mouth of the two snakes ending on the pommel. Both the pommel and the grip were made of an unknown, golden-colored material.

The cross-guard of the sword was shaped like a pair of dragon wings and was made of the same material as the pommel and grip with silver and platinum linings around it and another stone, similar to the one in the middle of the pommel, decorated the middle of the cross-guard as well.

The fuller of the sword had something written on it with the ancient language. The runes seemed to have been written using glowing ink, for even as Takuya starred at them, he could see them flickering in and out like they were made of blue flames.

The blade of the sword was made of celestial bronze. No rust could be seen nor were there dents or jagged edges on the sword.

"The Holy Sword, Eos." Lumina said, pointing to the floating sword just a couple of steps in front of her.

"This is Eos?" Takuya could not believe he was seeing the fabled ancient sword. "But... But I thought the powers of the Chosen Ones must be present and complete for it to appear."

"That was how it was when Eos first appeared before the humans." Lumina said, she touched the sword's pommel and felt a vibration of power from it. She then drew her hand back. "Eos appeared when Yuuki, the first human to ever bore the weapon, summoned it in hopes of ridding the world of Chaos' darkness. He managed to do that with the help of his friends who sacrificed their powers in order to call forth the sword...although, they did not realize that during their battle."

"They were the first humans, after the first war with Chaos, whom I have seen to possess an insurmountable will. Their will, their hopes and desires to defeat Chaos, resonated with their hearts and their powers calling the sword to Yuuki."

"Yuuki Granatis wasn't a Chosen One. He didn't possess any special ability. His only weapon was his heart and strong will. And he was the first human Eos chose after Eos was shattered to pieces."

"Why are you telling me this, Goddess Lumina?" Takuya asked. He was confused as to why Lumina was giving him a lesson on history.

"Because it is something you need to hear." Came the reply. Lumina then went on with her tale.

"The sword materialized from the power of the Chosen Ones that accompanied Yuuki during his final fight with Chaos. It is for that reason alone why many believe that to summon Eos, the power of the Chosen Ones must be assimilated. However, there is truth that the Chosen Ones are needed for when Eos was shattered, the jewels you see encased around the sword, disappeared into the hearts of men as energies that would later reveal themselves as the power of the Chosen Ones."

"So then... you weren't the one who blessed the Chosen One with their powers?" Takuya asked.

Lumina nodded. "It is through Eos that there are Chosen Ones to begin with. Eos is not just a sword or a holy artifact. Eos is also a sentient being, a being having a sense of perception and consciousness."

Takuya looked at the sword with a new light and asked, "So, why does it appear before me now?"

"Because it has chosen you to be the one to wield it...And, also because Milanai, through Izumi, had given you the ability to summon and wield Eos." Lumina replied. "However, the question remains if you _would _wield it or not."

"There is no question about that. If Eos is the only sword capable of piercing through Chaos' barriers, whatever they may be, and is the only thing that can stop Chaos and his plan then..."

"Be careful of your answers." Lumina warned. "Do not be quick to decide when you have yet to learn of what your choices may imply -what consequences would be born from your choice."

"There's a catch?" Takuya asked. He didn't thought of that.

Lumina nodded. "Eos' power is great. In exchange for his power, something of equal strength must be given as compensation. During Yuuki's final battle, Eos took the powers of the Chosen One. The Holy Sword drained the Chosen One of all their magical capabilities turning Yuuki's companions to normal humans who are unable to cast even the simplest of spells."

"During Kaien's battle, when my descendant, Shinji, used the Holy Sword he paid a price that could have ended up with him being the Guardian of the World Tree. Eos proposed to him that in exchange for wielding Eos, Shinji must give his life to the World Tree and be its guardian. It was only because Kaien took on the burden that Shinji was spared and the Holy Sword's services was paid."

"It seems," Takuya noticed a similarity in the two events that Lumina has stated, "that Eos decides for himself what the suitable payment would be."

Lumina nodded. "Yes. Only Eos can say what your payment would be and, you will only know of it once you have chosen to wield the sword. That is why you must choose carefully."

Takuya regarded the sword carefully. He did not dare imagine what compensation the sword would ask of him. He was no Chosen One and certainly not a descendant of the goddess. He didn't even know if he had the same bearing as the this Yuuki-person.

Thoughts swirled in his mind of what the sword may ask of him and those thoughts frightened him. What if what the sword asked would cause him to part with Izumi even more? What if what the sword asked for was something that, in the end, he could not give? What would the Holy Sword do then?

Lumina, on the other hand, regarded Takuya carefully. She knew that, if he accepts and wields Eos, Takuya has a chance of setting things right. However, she no longer has the power to help him during that time.

"You have been given a hard and heavy choice to make." Lumina said. "This is the first time in the history of Endlessia where something like this has happened."

"What do you mean? Something like what?"

"Do you remember the prophecy that Kouji Minamoto firmly believed would come to pass?" Lumina asked. When she saw Takuya nod, she continued. "That prophecy spoke of the Mirror of Light and the MIrror of Darkness. In times long past, the Mirror of Light and the Mirror of Darkness had always been one person, and that person had always been the one who wielded Eos. But, now, in this new cycle, the Mirror of Light and the Mirror of Darkness are two, different people."

"The Mirror of Light and the Mirror of Darkness..." And then suddenly, realization dawned upon Takuya. "My brother and myself!"

Lumina nodded once more.

"Kouji Minamoto believed him and his brother to be the ones in the prophecy when, in fact, it is you and Shinya." Lumina said. "It has always been destined that Shinya would be the one to wield the Holy Sword however, when you...assimilated Shinya's powers that fateful day, somehow, the fate of you and your brother became intertwined, so much so that you ended up here when it should have been Shinya who would make this decision."

"Then...it is not my right to decide..." Takuya said.

Lumina shook her head. "It is your right as much as his. It is, as I have said, both your fate and your brother's."

Takuya closed his eyes, Lumina's words echoing in his head. Suddenly, the thought of Shinya carrying another burden entered his mind and, at once, Takuya knew what he had to do.

"I want to wield the Holy Sword, Eos, Goddess Lumina." Takuya made his choice. "I don't know how I will fare knowing that this is a burden that my brother should have been the one to carry but... when I think of all the burdens and hardships that Shinya had gone through, being unable to do anything at that time... I can't help but think that I don't want to see him shouldering another burden such as this. I don't know what Eos would ask of me to give and, I am scared of what he could ask but... if this is the only way to defeat Chaos and ensure that peace returns to Endlessia... then, I accept this burden."

Eos glowed and floated towards Takuya. When the sword was right in front of the young Kanbara, it gave one final glow before it vanished. The moment it did so, Takuya felt a stinging sensation in his right hand, when he looked at it, he saw the same runes that he had seen engraved on the sword's fuller.

"What does this mean?" Takuya asked holding his palm up so that Lumina may see it.

"That is something I cannot tell you. You must learn of what the rune means by your own, it is only when you understand what is written in the palm of your hands, that you can summon Eos' true power and unleash the Holy Sword's true potential."

"_Eos' true potential..._" Takuya found himself thinking.

Just then, Lumina turned around and began to walk towards a different direction. Takuya tried to run after her but, despite her short strides, he could not catch up with her.

"Where are you going, Goddess Lumina?" Takuya shouted when he realized that it was pointless to run after the goddess.

"To make my own choice." Was Lumina's only reply before she vanished.

* * *

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Post Author's Notes:**

Whew, that made me tired. It's a lot longer than I had thought this chapter would be but, I hope I am able to convey what I want to convey in this chapter.

Maybe I have managed to answer some of the questions in this story but, I think I also managed to add another question. All of those other remaining open questions will be answered at the end of the story, though.

Questions such as: "What is the price Takuya had to pay?" or maybe, "What does Lumina need to choose?" , and of course, "What happened to Izumi?" will be answered next chapter (well, maybe not the 'what happened to Izumi?' part...yet).

Anyways, the next update would, at the earliest possible time, be on Sunday or Monday. So, until the next update, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out. Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**


	69. Extinguished Flame

**A Digimon Fanfic**  
**By Sakura Martinez**

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* * *

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**Author's Notes**  
Alright. I tried my best to update yesterday (Sunday) as I have promised but... It seems my desire to finish reading the last book of the Hunger Games trilogy was stronger than my desire to finish writing this chapter. Hence, the delay.

Since I have finished reading all the books that I can read at the moment, and as I wait for a stock of the second book of the Mortal Instruments series, I think I can update a bit quicker this time. Although, I can't promise that for sure.

Anyways, I will explain more on the post author's notes. So, for now, enjoy the third from the last chapter of the fanfic.

**End of Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Extinguished Flame**

* * *

_That's what it takes to be a hero, a little gem of innocence inside you that makes you want to believe that there still exists a right and wrong, that decency will somehow triumph in the end._

* * *

Chaos gripped the hilt of the sword and pulled it away from his chest and threw it on the ground. A large wound punctured his heart, which would have killed anyone under normal circumstances. But, they were beyond normalcy now. There was nothing "normal" with what was happening. With what was unfolding.

Chaos eyed them with as much anger and hatred that could have been possible to show. His eyes burned with deep crimson, much deeper than how his "normal" eyes looked like. Blood trickled from the large wound on his chest, he breath raggedly.

He growled at them and bared his teeth.

The Chosen Ones jumped back with Shinya dragging Takuya as far back as he could, for it was in Seraphim's, Chaos' possessed body, teeth that they first saw signs of his transformation.

At first, Kouji thought that he had did it. That he had managed to do what others deemed impossible - kill Chaos. After all, it's not everyday you plunge a sword into someone's heart so far that the tip of the sword had touched the ground and see that someone still alive.

Chaos' transformation, if they had seen it earlier in their journey, could have unnerved them.

His teeth, began to turn into, what could only be described as, amazingly sharp and jagged like shark's teeth. They retained their pearly white color but they could tell that, if those teeth would sink into any part of their body, it could easily rip them apart.

His skin began to peel, slowly revealing a reddish colored, like a badly burned skin. It was as if his whole body was a burning coal. His nails began to grow longer and longer until it was sharp, black-colored claws instead of normal fingernails.

His arms bulged with muscles, veins protruding here and there. The white in his eyes had turned black, thereby enhancing the color of his dark-crimson pupils.

The hair, the light-brown hair that belonged to King Seraphim, vanished. In it's place were tendrils of flame, black in color. In his forehead, two horns like a Minotaur's, could be seen.

The clothes, the regal armor that he wore prior to his transformation shatters as his body began to grow and grow in size. In it's place was a white tunic that could have matched the beautiful dress that Lumina wore.

At the thought of the goddess, Kouji could not feel anything but a pang of guilt. Even if the others did not say or think it, it was there. The reason why Lumina was so weak and why she was unable to protect herself.

She had, as Chaos said, interfered with a battle between mortals. That was a taboo amongst the gods, so much so that the breaking of such an oath would strip a god half of what power remains of him.

Twice Lumina defended them because of his desire to be _the _hero. Twice her powers were reduced until she only remained as powerful as they would have been if their powers were not taken from them.

However, it was not enough to defend herself from Chaos attack. His pride and arrogance cost them the life of the goddess and, now, their lives as well.

"_We came here to protect her._" Kouji found himself thinking, holding back tears of grief, remorse and lost pride. "_Instead I..._"

It was as if Kouichi could understand the turmoil within him for he quickly snaps him from his thoughts.

"Don't beat yourself up over what happened." Kouichi told him as they continued to watch Seraphim, no, Chaos, transform into a creature that they could only tell was born from the darkness. "It won't help us...or Lumina... if Chaos only gets himself much more stronger from feeding from our negative emotions."

"_He is right._" Kouji thinks to himself as all he could manage to give his twin was a nod.

His focus returns to the now-monstrous-looking Chaos.

The Chaos that was now standing before them did not look a bit like a god. On the contrary, he looked more like a demon. A demon summoned from the very depths of the abyss - of the void.

Chaos, with his transformation in what could only be easy to describe as a large, burning minotaur-like demon, twice the height of the Chosen Ones, howled. It was a howl that shook the Crystal Castle. Shook it enough to shatter the remaining crystals. There was no hope of preserving the castle now.

His eyes fixed on them. He opens his mouth and charges up an energy in them.

It took all the effort they could muster to get out of the way, just in time as the pillars and the beams fell.

The power of the attack, however, managed to destroy most of the castle. If anyone would come at this moment, they would no longer beheld the beauty and splendor of the once-magnificent castle was now reduced to nothing but ruins.

"I guess you have finally showed us your true colors, Chaos." Shinya managed to say when the dust settled in. "So this is what your true form is like."

Chaos laughes, then, when his laughter died down, he spoke. His voice boomed even louder than before, more sinister and more omnipotent in nature.

"My true form?" Says Chaos, his eyes glinting behind the flames that have begun to erupt around him. "There is no need to summon that to defeat the likes of you humans. No, I will reserve that for when I have won this battle!"

At those words he lounged again at them. It took only a brief period of time for the battle against the God of Darkness to resume.

* * *

Takuya stared at the palm of his hands where he could feel Eos' power. He swung his arm and when it rested on the left, the sword materializes in his grasp.

It was light. He waved the sword around, testing it and testing himself, wondering if Eos would require him to use a different style of fighting.

He learned, however, that Eos would not hinder how he had come to learn to fight. That the sword was like an extension of his arm. It moved as he wanted it to move. It was the perfect fit for him.

"If I had had you before," He told the sword as he looked at it. "I wouldn't have had a hard time fighting."

The sword hummed. Takuya could not tell if it was the sword's way to communicate. But, he smiled, imagining that it was.

Takuya closed his eyes and let out a breath. The sword vanished. He then looked around wondering what he was supposed to do next. He had made his choice, why then was he still in this white space of nothingness?

The answer was simple. His task was not yet done here.

Takuya then looked around but, as far as he could see, nothing has changed. He walked and walked, not really sure where he was going or where he was supposed to go. As he walked, he continued to wonder, what else must he do? No matter how hard he thought about it, no answer came to mind. All he know is that there was still something he need to make a choice of.

Suddenly, he saw them. His friends, fighting against a monster, a monster that somehow Takuya knew to be Chaos. The images of how they are fighting against the monster that is Chaos hung in the air, easing in and out, as if it was just a memory being played for him.

Then, the image shifted to show him. He was standing in front of Chaos, no longer as a minotaur but in his godly form. Chaos' handsome features reminded him of the beauty that belonged solely to the gods. He didn't seem to look much older than he was and he looked normal except for the color of his hair, his eyes and the dress he was wearing.

Even from the image being played out before him, Takuya could feel the immense power radiating from the god but, Takuya noted how weak and weary Chaos looked and how he, himself, looked as stronger than the god.

This, of course, baffled and confused the young man and he found himself wondering what this all meant.

"This is one of the last choices you have to make in this war," It was Izumi's voice who spoke as she appeared beside the floating image. "I have been allowed, with Milanai's last pool of power, to show it to you, Takuya."

She looked so real, not like the holographic projection that he had seen. She smiled at him, it was a sad smile, a sad, beautiful smile that only she could give.

"Izumi, is that really you?" He asks, although he already knew the answer to that. Of course it was her!

Izumi nodded. "I don't have much time, Takuya. Even at this very moment, Milanai is dying and soon...even I will..."

He didn't want her to finish what she was to say. He knew he would not bear to hear it and he cut her off as soon as he could saying, "No, you won't. I would make as many pact as I can with Eos to ensure that!"

Izumi smiled. It was still a sad one. "Thank you."

She then turned toward the image of Takuya and Chaos in battle where the others could only watch. That is, except for Shinya who seemed to be helping him.

"The Mirrors of Dark and Light fighting against the Forgotten God." Izumi said, it was the knowledge given to her by Milanai, that spoke. "And Chaos _will_ fall. However..."

"I have to decide how that happens...and _if_...I would even kill him." Takuya finishes.

Izumi nodded. "The choice has dire consequences, not only for you, Takuya but, for the whole world as well. Now that Lumina is gone, Chaos is the only living god present to sustain the magic of the world. He is the only one now with whom the spiritual force of the world revolves around, if you kill him..."

"I would be destroying not only the cause of the suffering but also destroy our civilization's only hope for defense...there would never be another Chosen One nor would the Elven folks manage to sustain their life in Endlessia...they would have to find a means to live without magic." Takuya realizes the heavy burden placed on him. "But, if I do not fight and kill him..."

"Then the world will be destroyed and all that Lumina had fought for will be lost." It was Izumi's turn to finish his sentence.

Takuya slumped back down to the ground, his hand rubbing his temple. He didn't think it would actually come to that choice. How was he suppose to choose when the outcome will not only affect him but will affect the whole of Endlessia? The choice he made before, on whether to wield Eos, seemed small compared to this. And he didn't try to deny that fact to Izumi, who seem to understand his predicament.

"It is a tough choice." Izumi told him. "But, it's a choice that you have to make because it is a choice that you alone _can_ make."

"But...I don't have the right to answer for the whole world." Takuya said, he was still slumped on the ground. "This world, it has depended on magic far too much. _We_ are too dependent on magic...and what about the Elven folks?"

"The Elves have been aware that this would happen, sooner or later." Izumi notified him, and then proceeded to tell him that they have long planned of the day when they return to the place from where they came from - a world far away. "They will return to their home. The real place where they truly belong."

Silence filled the air. Even though Izumi had said that the Elves have welcomed this choice for a long, long time, Takuya knew that it was a hard sacrifice for them to make. Regardless of where they came from, Endlessia had been their home, ever since the history of the world began and they were the first of the intellectual species.

"_Are you going to back down on your word?"_ A voice deep within his mind asked. He knew what it was, it was the part of him that wants Chaos to pay for the crimes he had committed. The part of him that solemnly promised to put an end to the suffering that he and his friends have found themselves tossed into.

"_But...wouldn't I, in turn, cause suffering for the people of Endlessia?"_ He argues with himself.

It was as if Izumi could read his trail of thoughts, for as she said, "If you don't decide on one thing or another on this matter, Takuya... a lot more people _will _perish and they will suffer far more than they could bear. Every moment that Chaos still lives is a moment to be feared...I know your reservations but, you must also know and realize by now the strength that we humans, and the rest of Endlessia possess. It may cause a setback or unease when magic is taken from us but our race will live on and find new ways to provide those things that magic may no longer give."

Takuya knew what she says is true. They have proven the strength that humans can possess and can call upon under dire circumstances but he still has his reservations. How would they explain to the world that there won't be any Chosen Ones to protect them? Was it right of him to decide for them by himself? Was it right to take whatever comfort the thought of having a defender, a Chosen one, can give?

"Is it the right thing to do?" He found himself asking out loud.

Izumi smiled. "We won't know what the future brings but, one thing is certain, Endlessia will persevere with our without people like us."

Takuya looked at her. Her eyes were filled with determination and confidence. She was confident of his decision, she knew what he would choose and how he will stand. Takuya could not help but smile, she knew him too well.

Takuya then nods. "I guess...since I already put a strain on the trust that people have placed on me...this is the least I can do."

"It's not 'the least' you can do, Takuya." Izumi said as she began to disappear in a haze. "It's everything you can do to ensure the world's survival..."

And that was the last thing he heard before he allowed himself to return to the battle at hand. HIs mind was set. His choice had been made.

* * *

He only had little time to react. Not only was the minotaur version of Chaos that much more stronger, faster and generally physically fit, he himself was in no way a match for him. He was weak, bloody and disorganized - much like the rest of his allies.

"_How can we hope to defeat him?_" Kouji groaned as he blocked Chaos' claw attack with his sword.

He buckled up, his knees on the ground trying to fight Chaos' strength. He gritted his teeth, not willing himself to give up despite the fact that his whole body was shouting at him to just lie down, just accept defeat and rest. His pride wouldn't allow him to just quit, it was the only good thing left about his pride - it kept him going.

He could hear Chaos laughing, gloating, knowing that with only two of them remaining to fight - himself and Shinya - there was no way they could win.

"_How did it end up like this?_" He wondered just as Chaos managed to scoop him up in a death grip with Chaos' hand, his free hand, on his throat carrying him off, his feet dangling in the air.

Kouji's mind was already foggy, his head swirling with thoughts when he find himself falling down and the sound of Chaos' screaming in agony.

Kouji's mind did a double take as he crashed on the ground. "_Did I just hear Chaos in pain?"_

When he opened his eyes and adjusted them, forced them to look at what was happening, he sees Takuya with a beautiful sword in hand pushing Chaos back. Shinya had regained his footing and was helping him, shooting white flames. He looked in awe as the Kanbaras continued to wound and push Chaos back. It was as if something was ignited within them, an energy to overcome the evil that is presently before them.

It was then that Kouji realized and accepted, somewhat disheartened and foolish, he wasn't the one in the prophecy and neither was it his brother... it was them.

* * *

Takuya came just in time before Chaos could suck the life out of Kouji. He came back just in time to save Kouji's neck from being snapped into two with not so much of an effort from Chaos. He came back just in time to surprise Chaos with an attack that severed his whole, right arm - the one that was trying to choke Kouji - sending sputters of blood, golden blood.

The shock was apparent on Chaos' face. He didn't expect that Takuya was still alive. He didn't expect Takuya to cause him so much trouble and pain. What's more, he didn't expect Takuya to be the wielder of the one thing, the one artifact, that can destroy him.

"How-?" Chaos growled but he was cut from what he was about to say when white flames, those accursed flames, shot out at him, engulfing him. He howled in pain, he felt his skin burning as it never before and never thought it capable of. No one has managed to fight him like this.

Willing all the power he has, he stopped the flames from utterly consuming him as he jumped away from his attackers, gripping his bleeding shoulder with his other hand.

Takuya landed next to his brother and Chaos could not help but look from one Kanbara to the next. He didn't think it would be possible. He had thought the prophecy meant only one person, it didn't say that the Mirror of Light and the Mirror of Darkness are two different persons. Light and Darkness had always been one, so, why did the Destined One be in the form of these two brash humans? He didn't know the answer to that.

He glared at Takuya and Shinya, who were both undeterred by his gaze filled with hatred and death. They no longer feared him. The loss of their fear is a big problem for him. He knew he had to do something, something that would make them fear him and not him fear them.

He knew that it was time. Time to remind the humans of how pathetic and weak their existence is. He made his way, hurriedly towards the throne. One touch on the throne would return him to his godly form, stature and power and then...

"Nothing will stand in my way!" He shouted as he managed to jump out of the flame attack summoned by Shinya, and land near the throne. His throne. He touches it and at once, he feels his power returning. The wounds inflicted on him vanishing.

In a splendid yet dark light, Chaos was transformed. From the grotesque monstrous creature to the handsome, young god with fiery-colored hair and golden eyes. There were no scars on his body, no golden blood and he felt no fatigue.

Takuya gritted his teeth. He did not want Chaos to return to this form, and he could see by the annoyed expression on Shinya's face, neither did he.

Chaos laughed. He was thrilled to be back to his real body. He could feel his power, the power that had been taken from him, now back and ready to be used however he willed them to.

He looked at the two humans who had caused him problems and he grinned. "Now, let us see how well you fare against my true powers!"

And once again they were fighting. Even when the odds in sheer numbers were against Chaos, he proved to be more than an even match against Shinya and Takuya. It confuses him how these two humans could stand neck and neck with him but he merely shrugged it off as the fact that they are different from the others who were Mirrors of Light and Darkness before them.

Takuya did not think the battle would be too taxing. He had thought that, since he was wielding Eos, Chaos could easily be defeated. He had not accounted on factors such as fatigue seeping in, Chaos' physical strength and speed. It was far from the easy battle he had hoped this would be.

"This is not a walk in the park." He managed to say as he and Shinya defended each other from a barrrage of Chaos' attack - all of which are unrelenting.

"What did you expect?" Shinya asked as he sent tendrils of white flame to block and consume the black flames heading on their direction.

Takuya sidestepped Chaos who was back to slashing at them with his own sword - a rapier that was the color of blood from pommel to the tip of the blade, dancing with decorations of small, tongues of fire - and countered him with a swift, upward strike only to be blocked by Chaos as well.

While Takuya and Chaos danced the dance of death, Shinya made sure to provide backup to his younger brother. He didn't move all that much for between the fatigue that was seeping into him and the wounds he had receive prior to Takuya's return, it was already a miracle that he can still fight alongside him.

However, Chaos has other plans. He knew the dangers he faced while battling between the two Destined Ones. He knew that the only way to ensure victory for himself was to deal with them one at a time. It is with that knowledge that Chaos decided to attack Shinya head on knowing that the older Kanbara was weak and exhausted and would no longer be able to keep up with them.

But, Takuya also guessed what Chaos wanted to do and planned to do for, within seconds he was at Shinya's defense, pushing Chaos back that in the end, Chaos decided to abandon Shinya and deal with Takuya first.

Soon, they found themselves at the top of the stairs, back in front of the two thrones. Takuya could not help but notice how this exactly replicates the image he had seen in that place. How the time was fast approaching when his decision must be put to action. He wonders if Chaos knew of it, of what awaited them here at the top of the stairs, far away from the others.

"The look on your face," Chaos said as he wiped the golden blood that had begun to flow out of an open gash on his left cheek. "you already know what is to come...at least, what that tree had seen was coming."

Takuya nodded. "You seem to not care if this is the place where you will be defeated."

"The visions that were shown to you may have hinted that," Chaos said, his eyes never leaving Takuya. The grip on his cursed blade not lessening. "but, those visions are only one of the many things that could happen. The future is not set in stone, you should be very well aware of that, Takuya."

"For once, I agree with you, Chaos." Takuya replied.

Silence. Neither of them moved for they know that the first one to move may be the first one to drop dead.

"I still don't understand why Lumina was so fond of humans, why she placed her trust once again on the fragile beings who seem to only know destruction." Chaos voiced out. Takuya could not help but sense a kind of pain in his voice. "Even when they killed me during my mortal phase, and even as she said she loathed them, there was still that part of her which loved and adored you creatures. Even when she knew that this is my revenge...revenge to the humans for stripping me of the one gift they could have given me - to be able to walk with them, talk to them and learn about them, as my sister has - she could not help but side with the lot of you. I don't understand why you are so special to her."

Takuya did not speak. He didn't know what to say or if he should even say anything. How can he know what the goddess thinks? A while back, he had thought that the gods were nothing more than a fancy of the human mind. That they were not real.

Chaos shook his head and pointed the sword at Takuya. "Perhaps it is fated that you should be the one to hold on to Eos. Perhaps...you are the one who can give me an answer of what makes Lumina see you as beings worthy of her protection. Show me, human, what made you and your kind special in her eyes!"

And that was all that was needed to be said before the battle resumed much more deadly than before.

The force of the battle and of their attacks sent sparks ricocheting off of their blades. Parry. Slash. Dodge. Counter. Sidestep. Block. Thrust. Motions repeating like a cycle and all Takuya could do was stand his ground and fight. With each attack he manages to block or manages to wound him, he learns something about the god of darkness. With each attack Chaos manages to block or manages to wound him, Chaos learns something about humanity - things he did not know or did not wish to believe were true about them.

With each attack they block and parried; with each attack that manages to wound their opponent; their hearts resonated with each of these attacks.

It seemed to go on forever, neither of them willing to let up on their attacks and defense. Takuya pushed back the feeling of fatigue and the sharp stings that erupts in his body every time sweat trickles down on his wounds.

But, try as he might it still returned to the fact that he is merely a human fighting against a god who shows no sign of fatigue. In the end, Chaos manages to pin Takuya on the back of the throne, his crimson sword deeply wedged on Takuya's side.

Takuya let out a cry of pain but he held onto his consciousness, afraid to collapse and never wake again.

Chaos plunged the sword deeper and Takuya cried out even louder. HIs cries echoing around the castle.

"Takuya!" Shinya shouted as it reached him.

Around him, the other Chosen Ones began to stir. Katsuharu coughed blood as he tried to push himself off of the ground. Tomoki gripped his wounded calf trying to stop the bleeding as he skipped his way towards Shinya. Junpei tried his best to walk towards them without falling or vomiting, which failed, his head was filled with clotted blood. Teppei slumped on a nearby pillar, or what remains of it, unable to stand. Kouichi, despite his own heavy set of wounds, helps his brother out of the debris and crater, limping as they walked to where the others are.

"This is not how you expected it to end, isn't it?" Chaos asked, whispering over at Takuya's ear.

"This...is...not the...end." Takuya said behind gritted teeth as Chaos took withdrew his sword from the him and he slid to the ground.

"You fought well for a human." Chaos said as he stood, towering above Takuya. There was a hint of respect in his voice. "You are better than Yuuki or Kaien... but, I am not as weak as I was back then."

Chaos then plunged the sword into Takuya's heart. In one quick attack, Takuya lost all of his consciousness. His head falls down and blood flowed freely from the wound on his chest as Chaos retracted his weapon.

Shinya's eyes widen in horror as he felt Takuya slip away into the void and saw Chaos descend to them to finish the job he had started.

All Shinya could think of, as he charged head on towards Chaos was how he had failed on the one thing he swore he would not fail in - keeping Takuya alive.

* * *

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Post Author's Notes:**

And that is the end of this chapter. It's certainly not the end of the chapter you all might have thought but, before you go and throw something at me (deadly or otherwise) wait until you finish the whole fanfic. I don't write things just to write them and every action in this story has meaning and has a reason, so don't go getting all angry on me.

Like I've said, I'll try to update as quickly as possible with only two chapters remaining (if my calculation is right and if I don't decide on adding something to the story). Now, as for the next update, it would either be on Wednesday or Thursday of this week.

I am really thankful for the people who are still reading this and who are giving their reviews like utsukushii04, FireFairy219, dogluv101, and Impstar who had reviewed recently.

Well, I am a bit drained after writing this (and hungry) so, I'll leave it to that. Hope you guys review this chapter and tell me whether you liked it or not. Just don't go into a full flaming frenzy, lol.

So, until the next update, this is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out. Ja ne!

**End of Post Author's Notes**


	70. Retornare

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**  
**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Earlier than expected, I hope.  
I know that the last cliffhanger was probably a torture for some people and so, as eager as most of you are in reading the next chapter, I was also eager to upload this chapter.

I warn you though, this is a bit long. Just a bit.

I'll talk more in the post author's notes. For now, enjoy the second to the last chapter of the Rabbit on the Moon.

**End of Author's Notes**

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

"**Ritornare"**

* * *

_Greatness lies, not in being strong, but in the right using of strength; and strength is not used rightly when it serves only to carry a man above his fellows for his own solitary glory. He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own._

* * *

Izumi could feel it, even as her strength and the strength of Milanai began to fade. She could feel that her connection with Takuya had been severed, and she could only guess that the unthinkable has happened.

She clutched her chest, which seem to contort with pain - the pain of losing him. She had hoped that, even with her sacrifice, they would still be together. But now, Chaos has taken that hope away. He has taken him away from her, and there was nothing she could do about it. There was no pact, no deals, that she could make to bring him back.

She wanted to cry but no tears fell from her eyes. Either that or she couldn't cry any more.

She felt her breathing was labored, it was as if Chaos had stabbed her as well, which he probably did, unknowingly.

"This...it can't have ended like that..." Izumi found herself saying. "Eos should have protected Takuya...Eos should have ensured that Chaos' sword would not kill Takuya..."

The wind rustled the tree, whose leaves have withered and were falling from their branches. Milanai looked old. The World Tree looked nothing like the magnificent thing it was before. It was now a shadow of its former glory and its former self.

Lumina was lost. Hope was lost. Takuya was lost. And she could do nothing but curl herself at the base of the giant tree.

* * *

Shinya's flames were stronger than before, brighter than before, more deadly to the corrupt than before. He had made sure of that. He had made sure that every flame that burst forth from the palm of his hands would be strong enough to hurt Chaos. God or not, Chaos will pay for what he did to Takuya - that thought alone was pushing Shinya to his limits.

They have all rushed, despite the wounds and the broken and battered bodies that they have, towards Chaos. On occasions, he could see Takuya's lifeless form on Lumina's throne, drenched with blood.

He saw Takuya's pale face, the large gaping hole in his chest and shoulder blade. He saw that the sword was still in his hand and he knew that he would not be able to wield the sword. It would not accept him. It would not make a pact with him. He felt sure with that.

He fought back the anger, the tears, the need for revenge as hard as he could. That was Chaos' turf. He knew that the moment he allows himself to hate would be the moment that Chaos grows exponentially stronger.

Shinya saw as Kouji forced the power of out him, summoning the power of Light and infusing it on his weapon, which managed to cause a dent on Chaos' defense. But, it was not enough.

He saw as Kouichi used his speed to try and get to Takuya but, Chaos was faster, a lot faster. And before he could see it, Kouichi was thrown away from the top steps of the stairs leading to the throne. However, Kouichi did manage to attack Chaos amidst all of that, scarring the face of the god of darkness.

When Kouichi fell down and wounded Chaos on the face, Katsuharu and Teppei saw this as a time to spring their attack. Katsuharu tried to create illusions of Lumina coming back to life. At first, Chaos was shocked but he seem to regain his senses and blasted a wave of dark energy towards the illusion. It flickered and vanished leaving a disorriented Katsuharu.

Teppei then called forth an earthquake to try and unbalance the Dark One just enough for Junpei and Tomoki to attack. But, even while unbalanced, Chaos still managed to deflect the attacks and launch his own counterattack which ended with Junpei and Tomoki being buried under a rubble of fallen walls and crystals.

This battle was not going on their favor. They were weak, and he knew it. They all realize now that the only person who could have defeated Chaos was the person who wielded the only weapon that could hurt him.

Kouji felt so frustrated. He wanted to scream his head off. He didn't like Takuya ever since they met. He had taken the one thing he had wanted and had thought he deserved - Izumi's affection; he had taken the glory that could have been his, by being the one chosen by Eos; he had taken the trust he had managed to build with him and trampled it by betraying them and attacking them, even if he was forced to. Yet, even as he didn't like Takuya, he still respected him and now that he thought about it, he had even go so far as viewed Takuya not just an ally, but a friend.

"_We blew our chance._" He thought to himself. "_What hope is there in this battle?_"

"There's still hope." Muttered Kouichi, though he didn't sound reassuring. "Takuya and Izumi...they showed us that. Izumi managed to do what we all thought was useless - she managed to bring Takuya back and Takuya...he managed to come back, fight with us, defend us..."

"He has the sword." Kouji said, as if that would explain everything. "Eos should have been our ticket for victory but...even Takuya..."

"We still have Shinya." Kouichi retorted. He didn't want to lose hope. He wanted to believe, as hard as it may be, that they still stood a chance. However small that chance is.

Kouji sighed but he smiled. It was a weak smile compared to the dashing smiles he used to give. He was tired and he didn't look all that dashing at all.

"It's funny. I want to belive you, Kouichi." Kouji said. If there was one thing that all of this has told them, it was to be hopeful at trying times and to never give up. How could he have forgotten that?

"Then believe." Kouichi replied, with a tired smile of his own. "What's the worst that could happen?"

They then stared at each other, they have a feeling that even they could contribute something. They were still Chosen Ones after all.

With a nod, the twins faced Chaos, their weapons at the ready on one hand and a ball of energy on the other.

No matter what happens. They will go down fighting, and hopefully, bring Chaos down with them.

* * *

Who am I? Where am I? Those were the questions that had found itself into his mind. It nagged at him. But, no matter how hard he thinks, he could not remember. He could not remember a thing about himself.

What he was doing. Where he was. Why was he here, wherever here was. A list of questions continued to pour on his mind. All those questions that he could not answer, it could have been enough to drive anyone crazy but, somehow, for one reason on other, he felt calm.

Calm. Perfectly calm. It was the only feeling he could feel and grasp. Apart from that, he could feel nothing. He didn't even know if he was standing up or sitting down, floating or falling. But, he didn't mind. Nothing mattered to him now.

He was content. He didn't want to go anywhere, or even to move.

It was with that thought that she appeared before him. More dazzling than he could remember. Yes, for he can somehow, vaguely remember seeing her before. He didn't know who she was but, he felt like he know her and she know him.

The look that she gave him with those deep silver eyes of hers seem to bore down at his soul. It didn't look like she was angry, on the contrary, she looked as though he cared for him. Somehow, he knew she did.

"Is that it?" She asked. Her voice was gently but there was some edge in them. "Is that all that remains of what humans can do? Is that all the power that remained? Has the power that was shown by the heroes of old been diminished?"

He stared at her, confused. He wanted to ask what she meant and what she was talking about but he couldn't find his voice. It was like he has forgotten how to speak.

"Endlessia is being torn apart now. The balance of power has shifted." She went on but as she spoke her eyes never left his so it was impossible not to see that he was the one she was talking to. "The people are praying for a miracle. For some kind of hope. A hope to see the bright future that lay before them. They are calling for _you_."

He looked at her quizzically. Why would they be calling for him?

"You are the beacon of hope. The lighthouse that will the seafarers look up to for direction. You have taken on that mantle when you accepted the sword." She explained to him. Still, he couldn't understand what she was talking about. He was no beacon of hope, he didn't even know what he was or who he was. "You are responsible for keeping that hope alive and channeling it. That is the gift and the power given to you by Eos, Takuya Kanbara."

Takuya Kanbara? That sounded familiar.

It felt as though he knew that name in some distant past, some distant dream. Was that his name? He didn't know. He couldn't remember. But somehow, that name made him feel something - warmth, a feeling that says he belong. A feeling he thought was so alien here, wherever here was.

"You have made that choice, Takuya, and I have told you that I needed to make mine." She said. Somehow, he could remember those words. Those same words being said a long time ago. "And I have chosen to give back to humanity the hope that they need. But, I can't do that on my own. You have to remember Takuya, who you are and where your place in this wheel of destiny lies. Unless you can remember, you would not be able to return, much less help your friends and your people who are now suffering."

The beautiful woman then walked towards him, sending him warmth. She then poked his chest with her index finger and suddenly, so suddenly, pain shot from it. And then he remembered: a sword digging deep into his heart. He remember the pain, the darkness and...death. He had died! He was killed!

Suddenly, he felt scared. His body was trembling as the woman retreated back from where she had stood before. He didn't want to try to touch the point where the blade had sunk. He was afraid that if he did try to touch it, his hand may find the hole that punctured him.

"I...died." He found his voice and croaked. His mouth seemed so dry, like he had walked through the desert for many days. "Why? Why did he...kill me?"

"Because you were a threat. You were the only one who could defeat him." The woman replied. "Do you remember why you were fighting against him?"

He shook his head. Images of all that have occurred in his life flashed before him. They were so fast yet so detailed. In all of those images, one person kept on appearing in them. One person who seemed brighter and more detailed than the rest.

Suddenly he remembers. He remembers everything!

Lumina smiled as Takuya's empty eyes were suddenly filled with life.

"What's going on, Goddess Lumina?" He asked. His voice was still shaking. "I _am_ dead, aren't I?"

Lumina nodded. "Chaos has managed to kill you. However, as I have said, the world is calling for you, the beacon of hope."

"You keep telling me that but I do not see myself as a beacon of hope."

"Eos. Do you know what the name means?" Lumina asked as she walked towards him. Helping him stand up and calm down.

He shook his head.

"It means dawn." She said, and then went on walking, motioning Takuya to follow her. They weren't really going anywhere, as far as Takuya could tell, for they were back in that white-filled world. "The time when light crawls up on the darkness of the night, ushering forth a new morning."

They stopped walking. Lumina then turned to face him and said, "It means 'Hope'."

* * *

They were way beyond their limits. They know that. They could feel it. Whatever attack they could muster, they knew it was going to be the last one. They wondered if it would be enough; if a miracle was awaiting them upon setting their final attack on Chaos. They wondered what will happen after that.

Many things. They wondered about many things. But, if there was one thing they didn't question, it was the strong feeling in their hearts. A feeling that says they did all they could do and that there was no regrets in this battle. A feeling that said they had done their fallen comrades proud. A feeling that said, no matter what lays ahead they were sure that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. How they came to know that, well, there was only one answer for that - they felt hope for the future, no matter how grim it may look from where they were standing.

Chaos didn't look as drained as they looked. He didn't even looked disturbed. He looked indifferent, like he didn't care what was going to happen. Maybe he didn't. He has, after all, attained that which he had sought for for so long.

"Well, this is it." Kouji found himself saying, gritting his teeth as the pain from his wounds reached his nerves.

"We did good, didn't we?" Tomoki asked. His hands felt numb with fatigue.

"We did more than good." Junpei replied, and Kouichi nodded at that.

"Who would have thought this was how it was going to end?" Shinya laughed. There wasn't much energy in his laughter.

"Who would have thought you'd be fighting along with us?" Teppei said, there was a hint of gratitude in his voice.

"I certainly didn't think I'd get to fight along side you all again." Katsuharu said, wiping the blood that stung his eyes.

"Too bad you didn't get to become king." Kouichi said. "You are your father's heir. The only heir to the throne."

Katsuharu laughed. "Well, it's not like there would be anything to rule over once this is through."

"Who knows." Kouji was the one who spoke. "Everyone ready?"

Everyone around him nodded. No words were said as Kouji nod back and together they began their final charge. Their final attack.

* * *

She could feel them still fighting. She could feel the desperation in each of the attacks that they set upon Chaos. She could feel their hope.

"They haven't given up yet..." She muttered, her face was streaked with dried tears. "They are still fighting...even without me or...Takuya."

The leaves on the tree rustled. There were only a couple of branches with brown leaves on them. Izumi knew that in a couple of hours, no, minutes the tree would be gone and she felt she would disappear as well.

The balance has been tipped. The power needed to bring forth a new seed, a new tree, was gone and without a new tree, what use is a guardian?

She could imagine what Takuya would have said if he was there and if he could see her.

"Come on, Izumi." He would say. "You can do better than that. We can do better than this."

He was right, of course. But, what can they do? For one, he was gone and she would soon follow in his footsteps.

"I won't allow you to go down in history as the worst guardian ever." He would have argued. He didn't like her decision of becoming a guardian, and who can blame him?

"If there is still something we can do, even if things may seem hopeless but there is still something we can help with, we should take it!" She gave a small smile. He was always the first one to jump into a dark tunnel, even if he doesn't know where it would lead him.

"You really would be angry at me for acting this way, wouldn't you, Takuya?" She asked as she looked up to the ominous sky - that vast expanse of red sky and black clouds. Lightning flashed at the distance and thunder boomed.

Fate had been trying to keep them apart. She had come to realize that as she remembered how many times they were forced to be separated - when he was captured and branded a traitor, when he had to pretend that he was dead and that he was a different person, when Chiaki had turned him to the dark side - those only to name a few. But even as they fought for the two of them, she remembered never giving up on the idea of them being together. Even now, when she can no longer feel him alive and breathing, there was a burning hope in her heart that they would be together in the end - when she herself has passed from the void.

If death was the only way they could be together then she was prepared to welcome it. In death, no one would be able to separate them. In death, fate can no longer keep them apart. But, she knew that she would not be able to face him there if she would allow herself defeat even before the others, who were fighting, allowed it themselves.

She stood up and touched the bark of the dying tree. There was still a small amount of power in her and in Milanai.

She pressed her forehead on the tree's bark and closed her eyes as she whispered, "Let us do this, Milanai...One final time."

Yes, if she was going to die along with the tree, she might as well go down fighting.

* * *

Takuya could not help himself. He was laughing. He felt so energized as he realized why it was that only Eos can defeat the god of darkness. It should have been clear as day and yet, he didn't realize it without Lumina telling him.

If hatred, pride and despair were Chaos' weapons, it only made sense that love, humility, and hope were theirs.

He realized what the true powers of Eos were.

"I had thought that, when you told me about Eos' true potential, that it would be something god-like. Something that can only come from the sword. I can't believe I was so wrong in thinking that." Said Takuya, he could still feel the slight pain in his chest but it wasn't as bearable as before. Somehow, he felt revitalize.

Lumina nodded. "The stronger the hearts of the Chosen Ones are, the more powerful the fire of the beacon of hope is. The sword echoes the power to the catalyst and together the sword and its wielder, by the power of Solaris, Luna and Vesper, are granted the power of Light and Rebirth."

"Hope resonates in the sword." Takuya said as he held Eos in his hands. "And it is stronger now than ever... I don't understand. Why is that? You would have thought that by losing me and the sword the others would have given up already and saw defeat was imminent..."

"That is what puzzles me with you humans as well." Lumina said, a small smile was on her lips. "But, I have seen the power that humanity possess. They may be creatures that can call upon destruction but, they are also creatures that can bring forth life - whether physical or from an idea that turns into an innovative invention. They may be creatures bent on hatred but they are also capable of love. And just when you think that you know everything there is to know about them - their flaws and their good points - they surprise you. Humans, whether they know it or not, has always clung unto hope, they just don't realize it. They fail to see that the whole world, their whole world, was built on the foundation of hope."

Takuya smiled. "A world built on the foundation of hope." He repeated.

"Are you ready?" Lumina asked, looking at him intently.

Takuya nodded. His face etched with the seriousness of the situation. "Are you sure about this, Goddess Lumina?"

Lumina looked at him and it was her turn to nod. "We all have a place in the world. I have been this world's protector and I have watched humans change, for better or worse. I have seen the power that humans have, whether they know it or not. I have taught them everything they know and they have taught me everything that has to be taught as well. There is nothing more I can give to the world than this. This is one of my final gifts for the world."

"But, what if I fail?" Takuya asked. Failing wasn't certainly an option but he still wondered 'what if?'

"You won't fail. You are not fighting this battle alone. The whole world, although they may feel despair, still cling to that little bit of hope. No matter how little that hope may be, hope is still hope." Lumina assured him, touching his face with her soft hands. "Yuuki had taught me to trust humans again. Kaien had taught me the value of self-sacrifice and atonement. And you, Takuya, had taught me the unconquerable power of love - that is the greatest lesson any human have taught me. And I am thankful for it."

Takuya could not help but blush. He didn't think gods would learn anything from humans. They were supposed to be omnipotent, omnipresent, and any other omni's out there.

But, even behind that blush, Takuya could not help but wonder if their love - his love for Izumi and her love for him - was really 'unconquerable' as Lumina had said. Somehow, under their current predicament, that didn't seem like the case.

"We have wasted enough time already, Takuya." Lumina said as she straightened. "You have to return now and set things right. Make Chaos see what humans are truly about and make him remember who he is. Who he really is."

Takuya nodded.

Lumina closed her eyes and she began to glow. Her whole body was glowing in a silver light, so bright but at the same time, the light wasn't blinding to Takuya. It was pleasant and warm and he knew why. It was because Lumina's light was filled with love. Love for the world she is willing to sacrifice herself for. Love for the humans despite their wavering commitment to all that is good. And, of course, love for her brother who despite all that has happened, she still genuinely believed he will come back to his senses.

The last thing Takuya remembered of that place were the words that Lumina gave him.

"Thank you."

* * *

What happened was such a blur that none of them knew what to think. Chaos was about to slash his sword, which had built a large amount of energy on it, to finish them all of with what they could guess would be a wave of energy from the sword. A very sharp wave of energy that could easily dismember any part of their body. And, before he could finish, someone had blocked the sword and dissipated the energy from it.

It took a while for it to register on their muddled heads and when it did they surprised. Very much surprised and confused. The same, Shinya noted, could be said of Chaos.

There with his sword locked on Chaos was Takuya. He was shining with the same light that Lumina had. He had no blemishes on his skin, no wounds, no scars - as far as Shinya could tell. He wasn't even wearing the armor he had been wearing before.

Gone were the black and dented armor. In it's place was something that he could only compare to what royalty would wear. Takuya looked like a prince: A silvery-white coat with golden linings and an intricate golden design and a pair of pants that go well with it. A red cape held in place by circular, golden emblems that have the rune of a moon, a full moon. His hair was back to normal - no longer spiky and short - he now looks like how he had looked when he first saw him, which made them look like twins. The sword, Eos, glowed with the same aura as Takuya, whose face was calm, as far as he could tell with Takuya's back on him.

"You!" Gasped Chaos as he pressed his sword harder down, Takuya still blocking him. "How can this be possible! I have killed you!"

"Well then, I guess you didn't kill me enough." Takuya retorted. His voice was calm. "Although, I should thank you for putting me through that. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have met the goddess again and wouldn't have learned what I needed to learn."

At the mention of the goddess, Chaos immediately understood what she did. Takuya felt the anger welling up inside his adversary. Summoning all the strength he could muster, and all the strength Eos can give him, he pushed Chaos back with his sword.

Chaos stumbled back. This time, he didn't seem all too surprised.

"So, you have learned Eos' true name." Chaos said, looking at Takuya, sizing him up. "And Lumina has brought you back. Such a foolish thing to do, Lumina..."

"It isn't foolish at all, Chaos." Takuya told him as Takuya took a step forward. "It is an act of love from the goddess who believed in the beauty of the world and those that live in it. It is an act of love from the goddess who believed that she can still save her brother. She didn't send me back to kill you, Chaos but, to release you from the darkness in your heart."

"Release me?" Belowed Chaos, he seem to find that amusing. "I am darkness and the darkness is me. To release the darkness, as you say, is to kill me."

"You aren't just the god of darkness, Chaos!" Takuya took another step forward, sword still in hand. "You were born from Solaris, the Celestial of the Sun and though you may be the god of death and darkness, you are also the god of rebirth! You heart was once pure, as pure as Lumina's, but your anger twisted it and yourself!"

"Was that what my sister told you?" Chaos asked, he was seething.

"That's not all she told me." Takuya replied. He was just a couple of steps away from Chaos now. "She told me the reason why you came to hate humans."

Chaos didn't wait to hear another word from him as he quickly went for the offensive. He hacked and slashed while Takuya defended and, with every attack that hit his blade, Takuya could feel the anger and the betrayal that Chaos felt.

Chaos didn't want anyone to know who he was and of his past. That was the only thing he and Lumina shared and now...Now, Takuya knew as well...And Chaos didn't like it. Not one bit.

* * *

Izumi almost fell back with surprise when she felt Takuya's life force so strong as if he was reborn. She could not believe it and at first thought it was some kind of trick - a trick by the desperation to be with him, the desire to see him again. But, she soon learned that it was no trick. It wasn't a dream either. Takuya was alive. So very much alive.

She was so happy that she was crying with relief, it was as if the thorn in her heart has been plucked away and the pain she felt was healed.

For a few moments, she felt happy and elated. It was as if the tree wasn't dying and disappearing. It was as if she, herself, felt that she was alive. But, that wasn't really the case.

The tree had withered, all of its leaves had fallen, leaving only the bare trunk. With only the trunk left, the tree has began to crumble and disappear. The barriers protecting the island had also begun to disappear. Milanai's power and its protection had been depleted.

And so was Izumi's power. And, like Milanai, she too was disappearing.

"I guess," Izumi says in a whisper as she slumped back on the ground, her back leaning on what remains of the tree, her figure flickering. "in the end, we still have to wait to meet each other again...Takuya."

* * *

They were back on the throne. Neither of them felt tired or weak after such a display of swordsmanship and power. They were, as it seems for the first time, on equal footing.

The ground rumbled. Their power was far too great for the castle, or what remained of it, to hold. Pillars crashed and crystal windows cracked. Debris fell and soot and grime and muck began to appear. The tremor from Lunesca told them that the the whole place was at the brink and Takuya knew that unless the battle ends now and unless his friends go back to Endlessia, they will all end up dead.

"Go back!" Takuya shouted, his voice was louder than the sound of destruction. It was as if his voice was being amplified. "Shinya, Kouji, Kouichi, Teppei, Junpei, Tomoki, Katsuharu... Go back to Endlessia now!"

"What?" Shinya said, his voice was loud and clear as well. It was either that or Takuya's hearing was well beyond normal. "Do you expect us to leave you here fighting against him?"

"There's no choice..." Takuya shouted back as he ducked another one of Chaos' sword swipes and launched his own, which was caught in Chaos' sword. "Lunesca...the whole of Lunesca... is going to be destroyed. You all have to go back to Endlessia."

"And what about you?" Kouji asked. No matter what, Takuya was still an ally. He had proved that much.

Takuya shook his head. "I...have to finish this and see this through to the end."

"And you think we don't? We're all in this together, Takuya!" Tomoki shouted back. He didn't want to leave a comrade behind.

"You don't understand. You guys can't stay here much longer. The barriers in this place are all but gone. You will die if you stay here so just go back!" Takuya said. Eos and Chaos' sword was still locked in battle, both vying for dominance. "This is something...Eos has tasked me with. It's not a matter of choice...It's a matter of responsibility. _My_ responsibility!"

"But-!" Shinya wanted to argue but, somehow, he knew what Takuya meant.

"Please..." Takuya sounded almost begging. "just...go."

No matter how much they wanted to stay and help out. No matter how much they wanted to see things through 'til the end. They knew there was nothing they could do here. They knew that Takuya wanted to save them, to help them.

With a heavy heart, they turned around and began to run. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them. They ran through the crumbling castle and they run without looking back until they got to the Gates of Gaia, activated it, and jumped through the portal.

"Don't die, Takuya." Was all Shinya could say before he disappeared into the portal, leaving his brother and the crumbling castle behind.

* * *

"That was so noble of you, Takuya." Chaos said, their swords were still locked in battle. "To save the lives of those who you hold dear...except for the life of the one who you really love: Izumi."

Takuya was caught off guard with that statement that Chaos managed to push him back and that he almost fell to the ground, if it were not for Eos who seem to be bent on keeping him on his foot.

"Were you so keen in battle that you did not even feel her being taken by the void?" Chaos asked. He had found Takuya's witness and he was willing to exploit it in order to win.

"What are you talking about?" His voice was shaking as he asked.

"I'm sure with Eos in your hands you can feel all of Endlessia. You can feel their hopes and their despairs as well as their desires. You can feel their lives flowing through you." Chaos smirked, he wanted to see his reaction when Takuya learns of what has happened. "Surely you have felt Izumi drifting far away. Farther away from you than ever."

Takuya closed his eyes and concentrated. Sure enough, he could feel what Chaos was talking about. And sure enough, he could no longer feel Izumi.

"She used up all of Milanai's powers and her own trying to defend your friends and the world. She is, as much of a protector as my sister." Chaos went on. "Milanai has died and without a new tree to protect, what do you suppose happens to a guardian without a purpose?"

Takuya didn't say anything. He didn't want to believe it. How can this happen just as he was brought back to life?

"They end up in the void, Takuya." Laughed Chaos. "They DIE."

"NO!" Shouted Takuya as he jumped forward and began hacking, slashing and thrusting furiously at Chaos. Even when he managed to wound and scratch the god of darkness, Chaos continued laughing. "No! No! NO!"

"Yes!" Laughed Chaos as he was being beaten by Takuya. Golden blood flowing from his side, his shoulder, his arm, his neck, his brow and his thigh. "Be angry, Takuya. Be angry with the world! Be angry with me! Kill me out of anger, hatred! Out of revenge!"

And Takuya was about to do that when he heard Lumina's voice: "_Save my brother, please._"  
It was faint but it felt so powerful that he was brought back to his senses.

It was enough for Takuya to stop himself before he could plunge the sword into Chaos' heart and kill him out of anger.

"What are you waiting for?" Chaos asked. He didn't care any more if he died. "Kill me."

"I won't." Takuya answered as he withdrew Eos and stepped back. "I won't kill out of hatred. I won't kill for revenge."

"Then you're going to kill me with the hope of saving that pathetic planet and its denizens?" Chaos spat. "You're a fool!"

And Chaos lurched at him, his dark sword in hand. Takuya was surprised and he allowed his reflexes to take over him as he ducked and swiped Chaos' sword out of his hand and thrust the sword in Chaos' heart, all in a span of a second.

Chaos fell on his back with a loud thud. Golden blood flowing from the wound in his chest.

Takuya was surprised. He had not expected his attack to connect. What may have surprised Takuya even more was the expression Chaos has on his face.

He was smiling, a soft smile. His eyes were no longer as evil-looking as before. The golden color of his eyes was vibrant, despite the fact that he was losing blood, and losing it quickly.

"You...did good...Takuya Kanbara." Chaos said as he looked at him. He was still smiling. "You..are noble...indeed."

Takuya walked towards where the god lay, dying. "I did not want it to end like this..."

"Like what?" Coughed Chaos, blood appeared on the edge of his mouth. "You managed to defeat me without resorting to hate and revenge...you defended yourself...and this is the result. You...have won."

"But-!" Somehow, Takuya did not feel too victorious. Somehow, he felt pity and he felt stricken with grief over the god's demise.

"I did not want...to kill Lumina. I did not want her...to die." Chaos said. "I wanted...the throne because...I was jealous. Because I want her to look at me the same way...she looks at the world and your kind...I wanted revenge on the humans for what they did and I lost myself in the process..."

Takuya kept quiet.

"I do not regret...however...the choice that led to this moment..." Chaos went on. His golden eyes were slowly losing the light in them. "I am...glad. I finally understood what humans are all about because of you, Takuya. I had looked at humans as beings who fear...fear those who are different than they are...beings who despise those who are better than them...I had closed my eyes and my heart on what they could become...on what they really are."

"I loved my sister so much...so much that I didn't want anyone else to get her attention...even if it means reverting the world into the great nothingness that it once was." Chaos went on and he sighed. "Finally, I can be with her again."

Chaos then looks over at Takuya once again and said, "You, who stands at the path that I cannot follow...I wanted my own way of things...my own world...I do not regret my choice...I would have...would have made the same choice all over again...Farewell...and Thank You..."

And Chaos was no more. His body dissolved in the same kind of light as Lumina's. Takuya understood, when Chaos learned that Lumina had chosen to sacrifice herself and revive him, Chaos had lost all the reason to fight. All the while, Chaos' reason for doing the things he did was her.

Takuya gripped the sword in his hand. Eos throbbed with light.

"I hope you find happiness again, Chaos." Takuya muttered as he looked one last time at the place where Chaos had laid.

Takuya then looked around, the whole place was crumbling down but he didn't seem fazed by it. He had expected as much.

Eos glowed, and he realized what it was he needed to do. He was the only one who can hold the place together. The only one who can make sure that Lunesca isn't destroyed and who can bring everything to right. He was the only one who can use Eos to fix those that has been destroyed both here in Lunesca and over at Endlessia. What Eos was asking as compensation for lending his power was this: that Takuya must stay in Lunesca and control the flow of energy in order to remake the world.

"How long?" Takuya asked, resigned to his fate.

Eos glowed once again and answered his question.

Takuya sighed. "Can I at least talk to the others while I do this?"

Another glow and Takuya nodded and whispered a word of thanks before standing between the two thrones, Eos in front of him. He raised the sword up and struck the ground with it. A burst of light flowed from him, creating a pillar of light which grew and grew as time passed.

He caught a glimpse of Izumi, lying on the ground surrounded by the others who had made it safely back to Endlessia and were waiting for him. She was unconscious but he was glad, she was safe and alive - something he had realized was attributed to the other gift Lumina had mentioned him before.

Shinya seemed to notice him before the others did, and he pointed towards him and said, "Takuya? Is that you?"

Takuya nodded. Eos had allowed him this.

"What are you doing? Where are you?" Shinya asked, everyone's attention was on him now.

"In Lunesca." Takuya replied. "I have to stay here...for a while. I don't know how long but, as long as it takes to stabilize the flow of energy and to ensure that Endlessia isn't destroyed by the sudden influx of power. It's...the payment I have been asked to give."

"Asked by whom?" Kouji didn't seem like he liked the idea.

"Eos." Takuya replied. Then he looked over at Izumi. He felt sad that he didn't get to talk with her. "I will be back...Please...tell her that..."

Kouji, Kouichi and Shinya all nodded. They promised to convey that message to her when she wakes. Takuya smiled at them one final time and said, "Tell her that...I love her." before he disappeared before their eyes. But, before he did, he saw a tear escape Izumi.

She had heard him. She had heard his words. And that was enough...for now.

* * *

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Post Author's Notes**

_Ritornare_. If you guys are not familiar with Italian, it means: "To return", "To come" or "To go back". It's a fitting title for this chapter, don't you think.

And also, with this chapter done, we only have another chapter left in the story. I'm so excited about that.

Now, I wonder what you all think about this chapter. What with Takuya being revived, Izumi dying, Lumina bringing Izumi back as a gift to Takuya and Takuya ending up as a catalyst and staying behind in Lunesca.

I hope this didn't cause too much confusion while you guys were reading.

Anyways, the next chapter would be out by Friday this week, maybe even earlier than Friday, if I can.

Having said that, it's time for me to rest for a while before I go ahead and write the final chapter of the story. This is Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out. Be sure to check my blog to see the cover of the final Rabbit of the Moon arc, if you haven't seen it on DeviantArt yet.

**End of Post Author's Notes**


	71. The Dawn of the New World

**A Digimon Frontier Fanfic**  
**By Sakura Martinez**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Friday. The day of reckoning...well, sort of. After all, it is the day for the final chapter of the Rabbit on the Moon.

I have a lot of things I want to say but, I think it would be best to reserve them for the Post Author's Notes. For now, simply enjoy this chapter. ^_^

**End of Author's Notes**

* * *

**The Rabbit on the Moon**

**Dawn of the New World**

* * *

The wind blew gently over the balcony where she stood. Her eyes were fixed over by the distance, watching the volunteers scurry about with their respective jobs but, at the same time, not really watching at all.

Her hair was arranged in a bun with her bangs hanging freely over her head and strands of hair flowed out from the bun. Her hair wasn't messy at all, it actually suited her complexion and the dress that she wore.

A tiara hang on her brow. Sparkling whenever the sun's rays hit them. She wore a gown that was light-pink in color with white frills. The gown went as far down as her feet, hiding the the glass-white colored high heels under them. She looked presentable and had an air of nobility around her.

It had been a long time since she had worn something like this or felt anything like an aristocrat. After all, travelling around the world, fighting for her life and trying to save the world had all but stripped her of feeling anything like an aristocrat.

But, she wasn't really an aristocrat. She just looks like one for the moment. Today was the Coranation Day and being the daughter of a newly appointed General to the King's Army, she was obligated to wear something formal and look as much like how nobles and aristocrats may look like during such a festive occasion.

The sound of the hammer pounding on the boards and the nails of a nearby tower droned on and on. She could hear people talking about the coronation that would take place a couple of hours from now and she could sense, by the tone of their voices, that they were excited and happy at the thought of having a new king. A king other than Seraphim.

She could not help but feel sorry for the late King of Frontiria. He was just brainwashed and possessed by Chaos and so, he had no control on what he was doing. But, that didn't matter to the people whom he was seen as a tyrant. They didn't know he was being manipulated and the few who did didn't seem to think that the King was as innocent. She wondered if they knew more about the whole thing than she and her friends did. They probably do.

"As young as Lord Katsuharu is," one of the men who was busy with the saw on his hands spoke loud enough for her to hear. "I'm willing to bet that he will be a better king than his father. He _is_ wiser than Seraphim, that's for sure."

Yes. Katsuharu was going to be crowned as King of Frontiria tonight, as was his right.

"Of course he'll be." Said the man with the hammer, putting a stop on his hammering and looking around at his fellow carpenters and volunteers. "The Queen'll make sure he does the right thin'...without steppin' outta bounds, of course."

And yes, Queen Ophania would make sure of that. She was wise and kind and the people of the Kingdom loves her.

Katsuharu had visited her before. He had told her that he was nervous about the whole thing saying how unsure he was about taking the throne and how he felt he wasn't ready yet. His mother was there with him and she had ensured him that he was indeed ready and that he would not be alone in governing the kingdom.

The Queen had promised that it would be a different kingdom. That it would be a kingdom where the people had a say on what was going on. Of course, she made that possible by asking every city, town, and village to provide a representative to voice the concerns of the people and to help with the process of rebuilding the kingdom.

They had also worked on building an alliance with the other kingdoms and the republic that were their neighbors. Frontiria wasn't the only one who succumbed to the destruction wrought by the events that had just transpired. The whole world had been in chaos but, with everyone's combined efforts, they had managed to move forward and rebuild.

They were not without help however, for a power was flowing around Endlessia, helping with the rebirth of the world. Of course, by rebirth, it did not necessarily mean that everyone who had died in the fighting and the war was revived. Those who died remain dead but their sacrifices were not left forgotten.

She knew what the power was that was helping the planet. She knew it full well. _He_ was the reason for it, doing the job that he was tasked to do.

The thought of Takuya made her feel racked with sadness. How long has it been since the last time she heard his voice as he said those three words that would always make her heartbeat race, as if she had climbed a mountain?

Three years. That was how long it has been. That was how long since he had defeated Chaos and taken up the mantle to regulate the imbalance of energy.

"How much longer before you return to me?" She whispered as another wind ruffled her dress.

She didn't know the answer to that. Nobody did. But, he had made them a promise that he will return and Izumi had placed all of her faith on his word.

She was snapped from her reverie when a knock erupted on the glass panel that led to the balcony where she stood. She turned around, trying to look impassive and she wondered how well she did with that.

Shinya greeted him with a smile as he walked beside her.

He didn't look like Takuya now but he still retained that youthful look in his face. He looked more like the Shinya she had seen on one of the pictures that Yuriko had shown her.

Yes, Yuriko had told them the truth. That she was Shinya and Takuya's mother and of everything that they had learned regarding her and her actions. Shinya had also revealed himself to her at that point and both were, as she had noted, as happy as can possibly be with the reunion. But, she knew as well as they do, that the reunion will not be complete until Takuya returns to them.

"I see you've finish preparing for the coronation." He noted. He looked young but his eyes and his voice betrayed the weariness that she knew he was feeling.

"More or less." She replied as she looked back at the scene of the castle town which was busy with activity. "I don't really like to meet with the nobles and the aristocrats, though."

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Shinya replied with a grin. "Though, I wonder if that would be the case if my brother was here with you..."

The mention of Takuya caused Izumi to be quiet. Although she knew Shinya was missing him as well, Shinya was the only one who mentions Takuya in front of her. The others always keep it in mind to avoid mentioning anything about him for they knew how she feels at even the slightest mention of his name.

"He'll be back soon." He told her after a short pause.

"How do you know?" She asked. She tried not to make her voice sound shaky.

Shinya took a moment to think. Then replied. "I just do."

Izumi caught something in his eye. That there was more to what he said that what he was letting on. She wondered if he knew something. She wondered if he knew when Takuya would really come back, or if it was just her imagination.

She shrugged the thought out her mind. There was no way he could know that. Shinya may be Takuya's brother but she and Takuya had far more connection than what people may think, after all, she had once became the Guardian of Milanai.

"You know, I don't think Lumina would have brought you back and saved you from being a guardian if she knew that Takuya would never return." Shinya told her just before he left a couple of minutes later, saying that he remembered Katsuharu asking for his help earlier. "She wouldn't have done that if she had meant it to be a gift."

She smiled. Shinya may just be right about that.

* * *

Katsuharu sighed as he slumped on his mattress. He was tired but, having been crowned as the new King of Frontiria, rest was no longer an option. There was a lot of things to do and he wondered if all of them could be done.

It had only been a month since his coronation. A lot of people were there to witness it. His friends, delegates from various kingdoms and republics, villages and towns, as well as cities, aristocrats, noblemen and women. He had expected the last of the Elven Folks to witness it as well but, he was not entirely surprised when he saw that none of them were around. They have, after all, long been gone, with only the few occasional Elven visiting them and bidding them goodbye.

He wasn't particularly critical about parties and social gatherings but, then again, this was the first, apart from his coming of age ceremony, where the gathering was all about him. He was glad that it all went without a hitch for he was worried that he would end up making a fool of himself.

He unclasped the velvet cape that hung on his back and threw it on the stool next to the shelves on the right of his bed. He was not fond of the cape as it was heavy and hindered much of his movement. He wondered why he needed to wear it, for all he knows an assassin could easily kill him just by pulling on the end of the cape with such brute force. Of course, he also knows that it was highly unlikely that an assassin would target him so soon. He hadn't done anything to aggravate anyone...yet and, it has only been a couple of months since he became a king. He humored that thought for a while before allowing it to slide away from his mind.

A knock on the door forced him to sit up and he grumbled at whoever was at the door. Rest wasn't an option, he knew that but it doesn't mean that he couldn't sneak a sleep or two.

He was surprised to see Shinya, however as the person responsible for the knocking at such an hour.

"Well, this is a surprise." Katsuharu said, though he didn't hide the fact that he was annoyed and pleased at the same time. "I had thought you returned to Harim already to help with the relief efforts over there."

Shinya shrugged as he entered Katsuharu's room and propped himself on one of the red sofas on the eastern side of the room. "Izumi asked me to come."

"She did?" Katsuharu asked as he sat on the other sofa, sitting in front of Shinya. "I suppose she had taken a liking to you. Can I ask what she needed from one of my Commanders?"

Shinya's brow furrowed. He hated that title. "It was about the trip for next month."

Katsuharu knew what trip that was. All of the other Chosen Ones, who were still alive, were going on that trip. "Takuya's birthday?"

Shinya nodded. "We made final preparations for the ship that was going to take us to the Unnamed Island. I wonder what Takuya might be thinking right now if he saw how much of a fuss people are making for a birthday that he wouldn't even be there to celebrate with us."

"I think he would be laughing and would be annoyed of himself for not being there." Katsuharu replied. It was how he thought Takuya would react. "Though...I suppose we are going to the only place where Izumi could feel him close by. It's a shame that the Gates of Gaia doesn't work any more else all we need to do is get ourselves over to Lunesca."

Shinya nodded once more. They had tried using the Gates of Gaia again but to no avail. It just wouldn't open up to them, after all the Chosen Ones' powers have all been diminished to nothing and even as they still were called Chosen Ones they have now become ordinary humans.

"But..." Katsuharu said as he looked closely over at Shinya and noticed the expression on his face. "You did come here just to report and remind me about that trip, didn't you?"

Shinya let a small smile escape his lips. Katsuharu noted how tired he looked and the paleness of his skin. He looked much paler than before, when they last saw each other.

"It's getting worse, isn't it?" Katsuharu asked and Shinya nodded. "How much longer before...?"

"Not long." Shinya replied, cutting off whatever Katsuharu's full question was. "I can feel it. It's...beckoning me and I think I know what this is all about."

Katusharu sighed, "What is up with you and your family."

Shinya laughed, the laugh was weak. "I suppose we are cursed."

"This is no laughing matter, Shinya." Katsuharu retorted. He didn't like the idea of where this was going. "It just seems that...you have accepted it."

He shrugged.

"How do you plan on explaining this to your mother? You have barely been reunited with each other...then there's also Izumi. Didn't Takuya placed her under your care?"

"I'm not going to disappear as suddenly as I appeared in their lives again, Katsuharu." Shinya said. His voice was reassuring though Katsuharu had to wonder how much he was willing to believe those words. "Besides..."

"Besides?" Katsuharu raised an eyebrow.

"Nevermind." Shinya said with a sigh.

"You don't expect me to keep this as a secret from the others, do you?" He already knew the answer to that. He sighed when Shinya gave him the answer, which was what he thought he would say. "Shinya...This is not something that should be taken lightly."

"Believe me. I am not taking it lightly." And that was the end of the conversation. Katsuharu knew that no matter how much he would pry, Shinya would not give him anything more than that.

Once again, Katsuharu found himself thinking how easy things could become complicated with a Kanbara around.

* * *

How the place had changed in three years.

The towering ruins that had once made this place an eerie reminder of the mistakes of the past - at least for the Kanbaras and Orimotos - had all been leveled. Trees were even now more abundant than before making it seem that the whole island was nothing but a forest. There was no sound of life, for no life would dare to live in this place. The only sound in the whole island, apart from their breathing, footsteps and a small chatter that escape their lips were the sound of the waves rolling and the winds crashing with the trees.

The roof of the room which once held the ancient of the relics given by Lumina was now bare and had opened up to the sky, allowing the whole room to bask in the glory of the sun. On the floor, where there was nothing but gravel and sand was now, miraculously as it would be, filled with all sorts of small, fragrant flowers with different colors. The smell of the flowers wafted through the air, and it seems to make them calm.

From such a treacherous place from before, the Unnamed Island had turned into a bit of a beautiful place. No storms ravaged the surrounding ocean to protect the island. No, there was no need for that now.

"You know, we could try building something here." Kouichi said. "This turned out to be a peaceful place after all."

"I hope you're not thinking of building a vacation house here." Kouji said with a laugh as he walked towards one part of the crumbling walls.

"Why not?" Grinned Junpei. He could not help but like the idea of their own vacation house, away from the rest of the world. "This would be a perfect place. People _are_ still afraid of coming here."

"You sound like you want to be a hermit, Junpei." Tomoki laughed. "Don't tell me now that you've become a Commander yourself you're afraid of people."

"Of course not!" Huffed Junpei. The group ended up laughing after that.

Izumi smiled. Somehow, being with the rest of her friends seem to ease the burden of feeling lonely without Takuya by her side.

She looked around, absorbing everything that she saw. This was the first time that they had returned after three years. Usually, during those three years when Takuya's birthday would come up, they would travel to some place that was significant to Takuya and to the war. Two years ago, they went to Harim. Last year they went to the place where Milanai once stood. It was a small island now, still vibrant with life but still lacking the fundamental piece of the island - the giant World Tree. And this year, they decided to go here.

"Who knew this place would end up like this." Katsuharu was awed by the spectacle.

"Maybe it has always been like this in the past?" Shinya said. His voice sounded weak and he seemed paler still. "Maybe it was like this before the fortress was built."

Izumi looked over at him and asked with a frown on her face, "Are you feeling alright, Shinya? You look sick."

"Don't worry about me." Shinya replied, managing to give her a smile. "I'm fine."

She didn't believe him for a moment. She didn't say it, of course. She had come to know how Shinya hated it when people fussed over him.

Izumi then turned her attention back to the Gates of Gaia, or what remained of it - which was the archway with the 12 jewels, though some of the jewels are already missing and the archway was pretty much crumbling.

They really didn't plan on anything other than staying in that place until sundown. No music, no singing, no party whatsoever. They do bring some food to quench their hunger and thirst, and they do talk about the happier times and of things that had been going on, but that was just how far they went. This was how they decided to celebrate Takuya's birthday while he was not around.

It was already sundown when they decided it was time to go back to civilization. Slowly they packed up what they brought and made their way back to the ship. Izumi, Katsuharu and Shinya, however, decided to stay behind for a few more minutes.

"How do you suppose Takuya would find his way back here?" Katsuharu asked. He knew they were wondering the same thing after seeing the Gates of Gaia again.

"Who knows?" Shinya replied. "With Eos he can do whatever he wants, provided it's within the boundaries of the pact they have made."

"Then I suppose showing us a glimpse of himself every once in a while is beyond that boundaries?" Izumi asked. Somehow, she resented the sword and its pact with Takuya right now.

Shinya laughed and so did Katsuharu, it was a playful laugh, one that they gave Izumi whenever she was pouting.

"I think Takuya needs concentration, what with what he was tasked to do. I can't imagine that it is an easy task." Katsuharu said, a smile was still in his face.

Shinya agreed, the same smile was also on his face. Izumi ended up smiling herself. Katsuharu and Shinya had been more than a pair of good company for her. Somehow, she felt they were family as well. She supposed it was because of the everything they had been through.

Thinking on the relationship she had with the others, it all felt the same to her. Everyone of them had managed to cheer her up from time to time. Though, from time to time, they don't get to be around each other thanks to the responsibilities that all of them have. Most of them were Commanders of the New King's Army while Tomoki was a representative of his tribe. And of course, there was Katsuharu who was now King.

As for her? Well, she turned down Katsuharu's offer to become an Ambassador between Frontiria and its neighboring kingdoms, republics and countries. She still felt week, even after all the time that has passed, from being a Guardian and from dying along with Milanai. She didn't feel like she would be able to answer to the responsibility of such a title, and so she turned it down. Katsuharu, of course, understood. He knew that what they felt, the loss of strength that they felt, were nothing compared to how Izumi must be feeling.

It was already getting dark, and so, they had no choice but to get back to the ship. With one last look at the Gates of Gaia, Izumi walked away and walked back to the reality that it would be a while before she sees Takuya again.

* * *

She was walking by herself around the capital, which had become more lively than before and whose repairs have gone smoothly. The sun was shining brightly overhead and it has only been a couple of hours after sunrise. The weather was nice, it wasn't too hot, too cold or too humid.

Izumi wore a white, sleeveless dress made of the most expensive materials you can find. Her father had made it apparent that she was not to show herself in public wearing a dress that did not suit her standing. Somehow, her father had decided that before she could react.

"You look just like your mother." He had told her once he saw her wearing one of the more expensive of her dresses. She had liked that compliment and the happiness and pride that welled up inside her father that she decided she wanted to please him.

They smiled and bowed to her, out of respect for being the General's daughter and for being a Chosen One - a hero, whenever she passed by the citizens of the capital. She smiled at them, of course.

Here and there children are playing and are laughing with their friends but they stopped and waved at her whenever they see her.

She walked alone. No bodyguards or entourage. She liked it that way because she is able to go anywhere within the boundaries of the city. She didn't know where she was going, she just let her feet take her where it wants to take her.

Soon, Izumi found herself at a large clearing. It was where the bazaars were held during the festive seasons but, right now, it was empty except for the trees that surrounded it, the fountain the middle and the patches of grass scattered about. There was nothing of interest there and was about to go back the way she came when something caught her eye.

A man was standing at the other side of the fountain, his back was turned and he wore a leather cloak hiding his clothes. A long bundle hang from his back. His face was hidden behind the hood of the cloak he was wearing. Izumi's mind warned her that this man was suspicious and she was about to back away slowly, when a branch cracked under hear.

The man, who was just standing with his back turned, jerked and turned around. The cloak and hood obscured any features, except for the lower half of his face.

Judgring from the expression on the man's mouth, for Izumi was sure that this was a man - judging from how he stood, his body language and his broad shoulders - Izumi saw that he was surprised. Perhaps he didn't expect anyone to stumble into the grounds during a non-festive season.

However, the man's lips curved into a smile and somehow, Izumi's heart began to beat faster. She couldn't move, even when her mind was telling her to.

She was about to ask him who he was and what he was doing out here when the man suddenly vanished. Izumi's eyes went wide we panic and she did what any sensible person would do. She ran.

* * *

"Are you sure you saw what you said you saw?" Shinya asked her a couple of minutes later when he and Izumi got to the clearing.

Shinya found Izumi panting and looking like she had seen a ghost, which Izumi thought she probably did. He had asked her what was wrong and Izumi did not think twice before telling him.

Luckily for Izumi, Shinya was not doing anything at that time and he was feeling a bit better, not as pale as before. Shinya had proposed that they return to the clearing and try to sort things out. He even suggested that perhaps Izumi was merely stressed out and was seeing things.

"Yes." Izumi replied. She was exasperated and that was the hundredth time she answered that particular question from him. "He was standing there, wearing a cloak that hid his face. And he turned around when he heard me backing up. Then he disappeared."

"Before grinning at you." Shinya remembered her telling him. "But there's nothing and no one here now."

"I think I would be scared to find him here again." Retorted Izumi. She was definitely on the edge.

"Well, you shouldn't be scared of that person, whoever he was." Shinya assured her. "No matter what happens, I'll keep my end of the bargain with Takuya and make sure you are not hurt. Add that to the fact that your father is the General and I don't think anyone would even dare to think of hurting you."

"I don't think feel so relieved even after hearing that." Izumi said and Shinya understood what she meant. They were both still weak and it seems like it would still take a while for them to recover.

Suddenly, the whole clearing went dead quiet. The birds stop chirping and the sound of chattering ceased. At once, Izumi and Shinya knew that something was wrong.

"What's going on?" Whispered Izumi. She wished that she was carrying her bow and arrows with her.

Shinya unsheathed his sword and looked around the clearing, ready to defend Izumi when the need arises. He didn't bother to answer Izumi's question.

Just then, Shinya's body suddenly gave a strange glow. He turned towards Izumi, seeing her mouth agape, obviously surprised, that she didn't notice that she too was glowing. It took a while before it registered to her that she was in the same predicament as Shinya.

"Wha-!" But even before any of them could ask, a blinding flash off light caught them off guard.

Suddenly, their body felt light. They felt queasy and, before they know it, they were knocked unconscious.

* * *

She groaned as she pushed herself up. She felt so dizzy like she had just spun around in place and she made it an effort not to throw up. Her eyes remained close for fear that if she did open them, she would end up failing in what she told herself she would not do - throwing up.

From her right, she heard Shinya groan as well. This was not something they were expecting. They were too lax and it seems that someone, somewhere, for one reason or another, was still hell bent on killing them or something.

"Ouch." She heard Shinya groan as he scrambled to his feet. "Are you okay, Izumi?"

Izumi managed to answer a "Yes" as she also managed to stand up properly. The throbbing of her head was easing away and she managed to open her eyes. She gasp and she heard Shinji do so as well. Where they were standing at was not a place they expected to find themselves after being "attacked".

They were on an island. A very familiar island with a hill in the middle. The waves were crashing not too far below, they could hear it faintly and could smell the sea as well as see it in the distance.

"What are we doing here?" Izumi asked, a shiver running up her spine as it always did when she visits the island where Milanai once stood.

Suddenly, the same man wearing the cloak and the hood above his head appeared before them. In a sudden surge of reflex and instinct to protect Izumi, Shinya whirled around and struck the hooded man with his sword.

The sound of metal against metal hung in the air as his sword clashed with the hooded man's sword, which glimmered and shined with pristine light. The hooded man looked at Shinya's face, his own face masked by the hood of his cloak and pushed Shinya away.

Shinya, who was stunned with the sword that the man brandished against his own weapon, managed to land on his feet, beside Izumi.

"It can't be..." Shinya was at a disbelief. His mind reeling having gotten a feel for who the man was.

"Is that really a way to greet someone you haven't seen in a long time?" The hooded man said as his lips curved into a smile. "I know I could have brought you two here in a much more comfortable ride but I think that is well beyond Eos' power."

The man took his hood off to reveal a mess of auburn hair, deep, dark brown eyes that glinted with laughter, and the boyish features that Izumi never thought she would see today when the day began.

"Takuya!" She gasped and without thinking, she ran towards him and flung her arms around him.

He hugged her back in an embrace that was filled with love and happiness. His arms not wanting to let her go. He relished their embrace and smelled her hair, then cupped his hands on her cheeks and kissed her.

When they both parted from breath Izumi could not help but notice those eyes. No longer were they of different colors. Takuya's eyes were back to how they originally look like. As the wind blew and his cloak fluttered, Shinya and Izumi could not help notice that the sword he was carrying was indeed Eos and he was still wearing the very same outfit he wore when he fought against Chaos.

"Who would have thought that I would ever see you again, Takuya." Laughed Shinya as he walked towards them and ruffled his younger brother's already messy hair.

"I could have come back earlier if I could but, it took a while to rebuild the flow of energy that was distorted by the battle." Explained Takuya.

"But, you were the hooded man from before right? At the clearing?" Izumi asked, her arms were still around his neck.

Takuya looked at her and nodded. "I was going to talk to you but...Eos had other plans."

"Plans that involved bringing both Shinya and me all the way out here?" Questioned Izumi. She wondered what kind of plans those were.

Takuya nodded once again then turned his attention towards Shinya. "Actually, Eos only wanted to call for Shinya but, I kind of bent it my way and brought you here as well, Izumi." His attention was once again back on her.

Izumi looked from Takuya and Shinya, who seem to be contemplating something, and then back at Takuya again.

Takuya took Izumi's hands and slipped off of her embrace, causing Izumi to look at him wondering what he was up to. Takuya then walked towards Shinya, closed his eyes, held out his hand which held Eos. The sword glowed one final time before it disappeared into Takuya's hand which was now balled into a fist and held it towards Shinya.

His hand glowed a golden color, the same golden color that you can see from the first rays of the sun. He then opened his eyes and looked at Shinya.

"I don't really want this to happen." He muttered.

Shinya nodded, "But, it has to. Right?"

Takuya nodded but kept his hands balled up, the glowing aura around it never disappearing. "It appears that...because I am the Mirror of Light and you are the Mirror of Darkness, two halves of what is supposed to be whole...we have been given separate roles to play. You ended up with the Flames of Soleil and I ended up with the Holy Sword, Eos."

"Yes. You were tasked with regulating the flow of energy, taking all the magic that we can call upon and changing it to the elements that can no longer be touched by any mortal." Shinya understood perfectly, and he let Takuya know that. "And I am tasked with this."

Izumi was confused. All of a sudden, she felt like Takuya and Shinya were two different people. They spoke in riddles that she could barely understand.

"What's going on?" Izumi finally asked.

"The world tree is more than just a tree that protects the world." Takuya said facing her. "Milanai told you that, right?"

Izumi nodded. "Milanai said that she also serves as a silent watcher who takes into account and records everything that has happened in the world and who, all-knowing as she is, is able to see what the future entails."

"The Memory of the Planet flows through the World Tree and unless a new tree is born and guarded, the battle that we have won will be for nothing." Takuya said. "You were Milanai's last guardian and, as far as I was told, Lumina released you from that responsibility. But now, a new tree and a new guardian must be created. And Eos has chosen who that will be."

Realization dawned upon Izumi. She understood so suddenly, what had been wrong with Shinya: why he was looked so weak, frail and pale. Even before this day, he was allowing himself to merge with the energy of the World Tree's seed.

"Why?" Cried Izumi. "This is suppose to be a happy reunion, right? What of your mother who had been waiting for all three of you to be reunited and to live together again? Does she know about this?"

Takuya looked at Shinya, only he knows the answer to that.

Shinya shook his head.

"Yuriko has lost you once already, Shinya. I don't think she can bear that again." Izumi went on, she was holding back tears for him.

"I didn't tell my mother but I think she understood. She knew more than one may expect." Shinya spoke. "Besides, I have known this for a while now, Izumi. Even during our stay here on this island. Kaien had hinted me about it."

"But-!" She wanted to protest but she knows it was hopeless. Shinya had willingly accepted the role and if she stood in the way, it would only make things harder for everyone. Without the tree, all of their sacrifices would be in vain.

Shinya smiled at Izumi and then looked at Takuya, "You're pretty lucky to have her, Takuya."

Takuya grinned. "I know."

Takuya then opened his clenched, glowing fists and Izumi saw what he was holding. A tiny seed with a tiny sprout on it. Shinya took the seed in his hand and walked to the place where Milanai had stood. He dug his hand into the dirt, making a hole on the ground. When the hole was deep enough, he placed the seed there, closed his eyes and allowed the Flames of Soleil, the white flames, to flow through him and into the seed. The final amount of magic that Shinya retained in his body, flowed out of him.

A bright flash of golden light erupted that caused Takuya to shield Izumi and his eyes lest they end up being blind. The ground trembled in their feet and suddenly, Izumi could hear scrapping sounds then the sounds of growth and finally the rustling of leaves. The light then subsided allowing Takuya and Izumi to look at the large tree that had suddenly errupted from the earth.

It was more vibrant than Milanai and even without touching the tree's bark, Izumi could feel a tremendous power emanating from it. It was the new World Tree.

Shinya appeared before them, glowing as Takuya's hands have been before. He felt revitalized and he looked strong. Stronger than Izumi could remember seeing him. A smile was on his lips and his eyes twinkled along with it.

"So this is what it feels like." He said, his voice seemed to echo around them. He then looked at Izumi and then at Takuya, then towards the giant tree behind him. He touched the bark and then turned his head towards Takuya and Izumi. "You have to give him a name."

"A name?" Izumi asked.

Shinya nodded. "The World Tree needs a new name. He isn't Milanai anymore, after all. And I think, both of you can give this tree a good name. A name that will ring throughout the ages. A powerful name."

Izumi looked at Takuya. Somehow she knew what Takuya would name the new World Tree. She smiled as she realized how fitting the name would be.

Hope.

Yes. It was a fitting name indeed.

* * *

_To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness._

A year has passed since Takuya had returned. A year since the World Tree was reborn under a new name and since Shinya took on his responsibility as the new Guardian of the world tree.

_What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places - and there are so many - where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction._

Everyone was in a festive mood and the King, Katsuharu, had declared the day a great holiday for the kingdom for he wanted this day to be remembered, not only by the two people who find this day to be special than the rest, but the whole kingdom - no - the whole world, as well.

Wedding bells chimed as Takuya and Izumi exchanged vows. A vow that, even before this day, they have both uttered to each other. A vow where they promised that they would be together, no matter what. A vow that, even before uttered in such a huge congregation, had already been tested and proven strong.

_And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory._

And a vow that marked the beginning. A beginning filled with hope for a future that they know not what it contained. A beginning for a future that contains an infinite number of possibilities and the dawn of a new world.

* * *

**The End...**

* * *

**Post Author's Notes**

I feel so teary eyed after writing those two words: "The End". After 300,000 words, almost 4 years, 316 978+ letters, 230 reviews (and hopefully, even after the story has been concluded, those reviews will still rise up), 71 chapters, and many ups and downs, the Rabbit on the Moon fanfic has finally come to a close.

The story has ended, the final words on the story given, and I am filled with mixed feelings of sadness and happiness. 4 years is a long time for a fanfic to be completed, and I do believe a number of you guys agree to that.

Words of thanks and gratitude would never be enough for the readers who stayed with the story through the end, despite how I ended up going on hiatus for a while. The reviews, criticisms and kind words that you gave me through out the story are small little treasures that kept me from abandoning this story and, thanks to you guys, it also gave birth to the Chronicles of Endlessia project.

Allow me to take this opportunity to thank the people who reviewed the story: dogluv101, FireFairy219, utsukushii04, Impstar, solorachi, RipYaNewOne, Krystal Karpenter, Ziva David, CJ122, rgr, Kazehime - Izumi Orimoto, Sightbent, TakumiForever, ThornedBlackRose88, Pyro The Harbringer of Chaos, burgekev000, Despair the ultimate sinner, TwinkieTUTUS, DemeterChild, Light's Bliue Blossom, Enceladus Shadow, Marie Ravenclaw, ToraHimeSama, Roxybaby08, cancercute, SasuxSakufan, kryuzei, aniuwolfe, Angelheart17, takumiroxsox, egamtaerg, Sakaure Savo, Nerf-or-Nothing, lilMayumii, milkshakelvr, isabelann4114, kawaii-firestar, mysticalruby, RoseNoir313, Megmo8214, Kari Minamoto, BlueLight98, amyuloveseli, Sunnysmile17, CoralineMarie, dbzgtfan2004, and all the anonymous reviewers, the people who faved this story and everyone who read and liked what they read (or even those who didn't like it).

Now that this fanfic is settled, I wonder what is next. Well, I could continue writing the War of Fates fanfic, and maybe cook something new up. But, I think I will rest for a week before doing that. XD

For the final time, for this fanfic, this is Sakura Martinez saying "Each affects the other, and the other affects the next, and the world is full of stories, but the stories are all one". Until the next fanfic, peace out, everyone and enjoy your weekend! Ja ne!

Oh yeah, before I forget, don't forget to review for this story one final time, okay? Thanks!

**End of Post Author's Notes**


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